Metal or plastic drilling machine operator
Sets up and runs drilling machines that drill, bore, mill, or countersink metal or plastic pieces.
Will AI replace metal or plastic drilling machine operator jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Low. More AI overlap than 32 in 100 jobs. AI touches a small part of this work. Most of the job happens with your hands, your body or in person. 0% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Study machining instructions and blueprints to learn sizes, steps, and tooling needs
What stays human
- Check machined work meets specs using calipers, micrometers, and gauges
- Move controls to lower tools onto workpieces and start automatic feeds
- Check that reference lines run parallel to the table's turning axis
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: -9.5%. Typical pay: $49,080 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
Try Metal or plastic drilling machine operator for a day
MAYBE finds someone who does this work and sets up a real day with them. You see the job up close, including how AI shows up in it, and then we help you make sense of what you felt.