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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators?
Task-level automation exposure for Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators: 27 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
34%
weighted task index
27 of 27 tasks scored
Median Salary
$50,690 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
High
169,450 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
-9.4%
employment change
12,500 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 48 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$39,520 – $107,920
Highest medians
Washington $107,920
Massachusetts $61,630
North Dakota $60,250
Connecticut $59,840
New Hampshire $59,730
Lowest medians
Mississippi $39,520
New Mexico $44,970
Utah $45,140
Florida $46,170
Nevada $46,670
State figures come from the 51-9161 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 34%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 37%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 4%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 0%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 36/100
Moderate
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
27 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 8%
2 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 45%
12 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 47%
13 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#11932 · Core · 28% automatable
Measure dimensions of finished workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments, templates, and fixtures.
physical manipulation — Hands-on dimensional measurement of workpieces
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
#11944 · Core · 55% automatable
Set up and operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic workpieces.
decision support — Programming production equipment needs physical setup and verification
Program equipment to perform production tasks.
#11934 · Core · 5% automatable
Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.
physical manipulation — Mounting tools requires hands-on setup
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment. Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment. Install mechanical components in production equipment.
#11946 · Core · 66% automatable
Review program specifications or blueprints to determine and set machine operations and sequencing, finished workpiece dimensions, or numerical control sequences.
visual inspection — Blueprint setup reading partial, human confirms
Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
#11937 · Core · 6% automatable
Stop machines to remove finished workpieces or to change tooling, setup, or workpiece placement, according to required machining sequences.
physical manipulation — Physically extracting parts from production equipment
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
#11935 · Core · 38% automatable
Listen to machines during operation to detect sounds such as those made by dull cutting tools or excessive vibration, and adjust machines to compensate for problems.
visual inspection — Malfunction detection relies on live physical observation
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
#11955 · Core · 55% automatable
Implement changes to machine programs, and enter new specifications, using computers.
physical manipulation — Command entry often needs physical equipment interface
Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment. Program equipment to perform production tasks.
#11940 · Core · 65% automatable
Calculate machine speed and feed ratios and the size and position of cuts.
data analysis — Production requirement calc; human validates inputs
Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
#11953 · Core · 55% automatable
Transfer commands from servers to computer numerical control (CNC) modules, using computer network links.
physical manipulation — Command entry often needs physical equipment interface
Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
#11933 · Core · 9% automatable
Remove and replace dull cutting tools.
physical manipulation — Hands-on removal and fitting of worn components
Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment. Replace worn equipment components.
#11942 · Core · 15% automatable
Check to ensure that workpieces are properly lubricated and cooled during machine operation.
physical manipulation — Lubrication monitoring is hands-on physical work
Monitor lubrication of equipment or workpieces.
#11936 · Core · 13% automatable
Adjust machine feed and speed, change cutting tools, or adjust machine controls when automatic programming is faulty or if machines malfunction.
physical manipulation — Hands-on production flow control
Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products. Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications. Replace worn equipment components.
#11947 · Core · 42% automatable
Monitor machine operation and control panel displays, and compare readings to specifications to detect malfunctions.
visual inspection — Sensor/vision monitoring possible, but physical verification and accountability remain human
Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
#11949 · Core · 9% automatable
Maintain machines and remove and replace broken or worn machine tools, using hand tools.
physical manipulation — Hands-on removal and fitting of worn components
Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment. Replace worn equipment components. Maintain production or processing equipment.
#11941 · Core · 55% automatable
Insert control instructions into machine control units to start operation.
physical manipulation — Command entry often needs physical equipment interface
Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
#11939 · Core · 55% automatable
Modify cutting programs to account for problems encountered during operation, and save modified programs.
decision support — Programming production equipment needs physical setup and verification
Program equipment to perform production tasks.
#11956 · Core · 55% automatable
Write simple programs for computer-controlled machine tools.
decision support — Programming production equipment needs physical setup and verification
Program equipment to perform production tasks.
#11938 · Core · 10% automatable
Lift workpieces to machines manually or with hoists or cranes.
physical manipulation — Rigging and lifting loads with cranes is hands-on
Lift materials or workpieces using cranes or other lifting equipment.
#11943 · Core · 55% automatable
Input initial part dimensions into machine control panels.
physical manipulation — Command entry often needs physical equipment interface
Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
#11954 · Core · 55% automatable
Set up future jobs while machines are operating.
decision support — Programming production equipment needs physical setup and verification
Program equipment to perform production tasks.
#11945 · Core · 55% automatable
Confer with supervisors or programmers to resolve machine malfunctions or production errors or to obtain approval to continue production.
decision support — Diagnosis support good; physical resolution needs humans
Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions.
#11950 · Core · 4% automatable
Stack or load finished items, or place items on conveyor systems.
physical manipulation — Hands-on stacking of finished items
Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
#11948 · Core · 15% automatable
Control coolant systems.
physical manipulation — Physical valve/control manipulation for coolant
Adjust equipment controls to regulate coolant flow.
#11951 · Core · 5% automatable
Clean machines, tooling, or parts, using solvents or solutions and rags.
physical manipulation — Hands-on cleaning of equipment in unstructured settings
Clean production equipment.
#11952 · Supplemental · 55% automatable
Enter commands or load control media, such as tapes, cards, or disks, into machine controllers to retrieve programmed instructions.
physical manipulation — Command entry often needs physical equipment interface
Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
#11958 · Supplemental · 6% automatable
Lay out and mark areas of parts to be shot peened and fill hoppers with shot.
physical manipulation — Drawing guide lines on materials is hands-on
Load materials into production equipment. Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
#11957 · Supplemental · 28% automatable
Examine electronic components for defects or completeness of laser-beam trimming, using microscopes.
data analysis — Electrical testing requires hands-on instrument use
Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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