Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Most exposed tasks

Highest structured exposure values in this role’s task mix — the work AI systems can already do most of.

• Record production output.70

Augmentable tasks

Work where AI assists rather than replaces — the productivity frontier of this role.

• Compute dimensions, tolerances, and angles of workpieces or machines according to specifications and knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.50
• Select cutting speeds, feed rates, and depths of cuts, applying knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.45
• Study blueprints, layouts, sketches, or work orders to assess workpiece specifications and to determine tooling instructions, tools and materials needed, and sequences of operations.40

Most durable tasks

Lowest exposure — typically judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability. This is the human moat.

• Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists.15
• Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders.15
• Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas.15

Task exposure values and classifications are published, versioned estimates audited against the anchored rubric. This page reads them from the data release rather than generating them at request time. Bars show exposure contribution relative to this role’s task mix.

What this means

A score of 28 puts Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. In practice, exposure this level is about the mix: 1 of 15 analyzed tasks lean automatable, 3 augmentable, and 11 durable. The useful question isn’t “will AI take this job” — it’s which tasks go first, which get faster, and where to reposition time. That’s what the personalized report maps against your actual week.

Lower-exposure adjacent roles

Shown only when the target is at least 10 points lower under the same score version and skill overlap is at least 50%. These are adjacent roles with lower task exposure — not guaranteed “safe careers”.

Labor-market context

• $52,800median wage
• 12,460employed
• 1,100annual openings
• -14.5%projected growth

Context only — labor statistics are not inputs to the exposure score. See methodology.

Related roles

Adjacent by skills or family — no exposure claim implied.

• Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 26
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 21
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 20
• Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 16
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 32
• Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 19

How this score was calculated

FAQ — Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Will AI replace Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

This score cannot predict whether this occupation or any individual job will be replaced. It shows which tasks current and near-term AI can perform or accelerate, which tasks remain more durable, and where a worker can adapt. Employer decisions, demand, regulation, and how the role changes are outside the score.

What does a score of 28 mean for a Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

It means that, weighted across the 15 tasks we analyzed for this role, the task mix sits at 28 on a 0–100 exposure scale — in the second quartile of analyzed occupations. It measures task exposure to current and near-term AI capabilities, not the probability of losing a job.

Which tasks in this role are most exposed to AI?

The highest-exposure tasks are: Record production output. Exposure comes from the published, rubric-scored data release rather than being generated when you open this page.

Which parts of this job are most durable?

The most durable responsibilities are: Position and secure workpieces on machines, using holding devices, measuring instruments, hand tools, and hoists; Replace worn tools, using hand tools, and sharpen dull tools, using bench grinders; Turn valves or pull levers to start and regulate the flow of coolant or lubricant to work areas. Durable tasks typically depend on judgment, relationships, physical presence, or accountability.

Is this score personalized to me?

No — this page shows the occupation-level baseline. Two people with the same title often do different work. The $9 personalized report recalculates the score from the tasks you actually do and builds a concrete 7/30/90-day plan around them.