Headline risk
19%
Moderate RiskForging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 49,240
Employment 2024
8.8K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-18.9%
Openings (2024–34)
0.6K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of metal and plastic machine workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Read work orders or blueprints to determine specified tolerances and sequences of operations for machine setup. AI use: 0%
- 2. Set up, operate, or tend presses and forging machines to perform hot or cold forging by flattening, straightening, bending, cutting, piercing, or other operations to taper, shape, or form metal. AI use: 0%
- 3. Turn handles or knobs to set pressures and depths of ram strokes and to synchronize machine operations. AI use: 0%
- 4. Install, adjust, and remove dies, synchronizing cams, forging hammers, and stop guides, using overhead cranes or other hoisting devices, and hand tools. AI use: 0%
- 5. Confer with other workers about machine setups and operational specifications. AI use: 0%
- 6. Start machines to produce sample workpieces, and observe operations to detect machine malfunctions and to verify that machine setups conform to specifications. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 39.3 · 53K employed
Under 25: 15% · 25–54: 66% · 55+: 19%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces.
Metal and plastic machine workers are employed mainly in factories. Workers must adhere to safety standards to protect themselves from workplace hazards. Most work full time, which for some includes evenings and weekends.
Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.
The median annual wage for metal and plastic machine workers was $46,800 in May 2024.
Overall employment of metal and plastic machine workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.