Will AI replace Machinists?
AI reaches little of this job’s work.
12/100
Low exposure
More exposed to AI than 22% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 0% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 24% of the work
What the job involves
Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Within reach(8)
- Evaluate machining procedures and recommend changes or modifications for improved efficiency or adaptability.
- Confer with engineering, supervisory, or manufacturing personnel to exchange technical information.
- Program computers or electronic instruments, such as numerically controlled machine tools.
- Confer with numerical control programmers to check and ensure that new programs or machinery will function properly and that output will meet specifications.
- Design fixtures, tooling, or experimental parts to meet special engineering needs.
and 3 more
Out of reach(21)
- Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers.
- Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders.
- Measure, examine, or test completed units to check for defects and ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments, such as micrometers.
- Maintain machine tools in proper operational condition.
- Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations.
and 16 more
Also called
Machinist · Maintenance Machinist · Auto Machinist (Automotive Machinist) · Auto Machinist · Manual Machinist · Precision Machinist · CNC Machinist (Computer Numeric Controlled Machinist) · CNC Machinist (Computer Numerically Controlled Machinist)
Related jobs
- Tool and Die Makers10/100
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators18/100
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic7/100
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic3/100
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers38/100
What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics