Machinist
Sets up and runs machine tools to make precision metal parts and instruments, and may make or repair parts for machine tools and industrial machines.
Will AI replace machinist jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Medium. More AI overlap than 55 in 100 jobs. AI helps with some tasks, like paperwork or first drafts. People still do the core of the job. 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
- Program computers or electronic tools, like computer-controlled machine tools
- Evaluate machining steps and suggest changes to work better
- Work with programmers to check new programs and machines will perform
What stays human
- Calculate sizes and tolerances using micrometers or calipers
- Machine parts to specs using lathes, milling machines, and grinders
- Measure, examine, and test finished units for defects using precision tools
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: +1%. Typical pay: $58,750 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
Try Machinist 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.