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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Industrial Machinery Mechanics?
Task-level automation exposure for Industrial Machinery Mechanics: 16 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
37%
weighted task index
16 of 16 tasks scored
Median Salary
$64,520 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
439,640 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+17.8%
employment change
44,400 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 52 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$37,450 – $87,670
Highest medians
District of Columbia $87,670
Wyoming $78,320
Nevada $77,750
Alaska $77,390
Hawaii $77,330
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $37,450
Mississippi $57,760
Arkansas $59,760
Louisiana $60,260
Florida $60,650
State figures come from the 49-9041 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 37%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 40%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 12%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 13%
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 15/100
Low
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
16 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) 35%
6 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 6%
1 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 60%
9 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
#11815 · Core · 10% automatable
Repair or maintain the operating condition of industrial production or processing machinery or equipment.
physical manipulation — Physical maintenance of machinery
Maintain work equipment or machinery.
#11814 · Core · 10% automatable
Repair or replace broken or malfunctioning components of machinery or equipment.
physical manipulation — Manual replacement of mechanical parts
Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts. Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
#11820 · Core · 12% automatable
Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
physical manipulation — Hands-on equipment adjustment for performance
Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order. Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance. Lubricate equipment to allow proper functioning.
#11813 · Core · 8% automatable
Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
physical manipulation — Disassembly requires hands-on tool use
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
#11817 · Core · 5% automatable
Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
physical manipulation — Reassembly after repair requires hands-on fitting
Reassemble equipment after repair.
#11816 · Core · 18% automatable
Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
visual inspection — Locating wear and damage requires physical inspection
Inspect mechanical equipment to locate damage, defects, or wear.
#11822 · Core · 80% automatable
Record repairs and maintenance performed.
text generation — Log maintenance and repair records from data
Maintain repair or maintenance records.
#11819 · Core · 28% automatable
Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs.
physical manipulation — Hands-on mechanical testing in physical environment
Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
#11824 · Core · 78% automatable
Record parts or materials used and order or requisition new parts or materials, as necessary.
text generation — Record parts and repair details from provided data
Record information about parts, materials or repair procedures. Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
#11818 · Core · 34% automatable
Observe and test the operation of machinery or equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using voltmeters or other testing devices.
visual inspection — Detecting subtle equipment problems needs on-site sensory judgment
Observe equipment in operation to detect potential problems. Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
#11821 · Core · 66% automatable
Analyze test results, machine error messages, or information obtained from operators to diagnose equipment problems.
data analysis — Performance data analysis; equipment context human
Analyze test or performance data to assess equipment operation.
#11823 · Core · 64% automatable
Study blueprints or manufacturers' manuals to determine correct installation or operation of machinery.
visual inspection — Diagram interpretation partial, human confirms installation
Interpret blueprints, specifications, or diagrams to inform installation, development or operation activities.
#11825 · Core · 7% automatable
Cut and weld metal to repair broken metal parts, fabricate new parts, or assemble new equipment.
physical manipulation — Physical cutting to specifications
Cut materials according to specifications or needs. Operate welding equipment.
#11827 · Core · 85% automatable
Enter codes and instructions to program computer-controlled machinery.
data analysis — Code entry is routine data input
Enter codes or other information into computers.
#11826 · Core · 42% automatable
Demonstrate equipment functions and features to machine operators.
interpersonal — Operational training requires live human delivery
Train others in operational procedures.
#23935 · Supplemental · 70% automatable
Assign schedules to work crews.
decision support — Algorithmic scheduling with human handling constraints and exceptions
Plan employee work schedules. Assign duties or work schedules to employees.
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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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