US dataswitch to UK

Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

adjusting machine components to regulate speeds, clearing jams, sending product samples to laboratories for analysis and synchronizing speeds of sections of machines when producing products involving several steps or processes. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 6%
changing shape: 0%
staying human: 94%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 9 out of 100 (7–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 26 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

What shifts is recording and maintaining production data: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics. The job title says “extruding”, “forming”, “pressing”, “compacting machine setters”, “operators” or “tenders”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders is not one task. It is 26 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 6%
changing shape: 0%
staying human: 94%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

1 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

1 task

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Recording and maintaining production data
This is reading one thing and writing another: production data in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 62 out of 100 (58–66 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Recording meter readings and production quantities is data work software handles.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Changing shape

0 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Staying human

25 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment
This work happens in the physical world: control buttons, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Pressing the controls to start machinery requires being there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Monitoring machine operations and observing lights and gauges to detect malfunctions
This work happens in the physical world: machine operations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Sensors can flag many faults, but watching the machine run and reacting still happens on the floor.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Examining, measuring and weighing materials or products to verify conformance
This work happens in the physical world: materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as templates, micrometers, or scales.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Measuring and weighing product with templates and micrometers is physical checking.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Adjusting machine components to regulate speeds
This work happens in the physical world: machine components, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Adjust machine components to regulate speeds, pressures, and temperatures, and amounts, dimensions, and flow of materials or ingredients.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Adjusting machine components is done with hands at the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Turning controls to adjust machine functions
This work happens in the physical world: controls, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Turn controls to adjust machine functions, such as regulating air pressure, creating vacuums, and adjusting coolant flow.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Turning controls for air, vacuum and coolant happens at the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Clearing jams and removing defective or substandard materials or products
This work happens in the physical world: jams, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Clear jams, and remove defective or substandard materials or products.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Clearing jams and pulling out bad product is hands-on.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Notifying supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards
This work happens in the physical world: supervisors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Notify supervisors when extruded filaments fail to meet standards.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 16 out of 100 (9–23 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Passing on an alert is simple, but noticing the fault happens at the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Cleaning dies, arbors, compression chambers and molds, using swabs, sponges or air hoses
This work happens in the physical world: dies, arbors, compression chambers and molds, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Clean dies, arbors, compression chambers, and molds, using swabs, sponges, or air hoses.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning dies, chambers and molds is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Reviewing work orders, specifications or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing or compacting machines
The ratings behind this row put work orders, specifications or instructions well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out settings from a written work order is document work, though plant-specific knowledge matters.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 16 tasks

Completing work tickets and placing them with products
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: work tickets, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Complete work tickets, and place them with products.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Filling in the work ticket is paperwork, though it still has to be placed with the product.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Synchronizing speeds of sections of machines when producing products involving several steps or processes
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: speeds of sections of machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Synchronize speeds of sections of machines when producing products involving several steps or processes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 19 out of 100 (12–26 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Speed synchronization is a control calculation, but the operating is done at the line.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Sending product samples to laboratories for analysis
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: product samples, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Send product samples to laboratories for analysis.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Deciding what to send is simple, but packing and dispatching samples is physical.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Selecting and installing machine components
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: machine components, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Select and install machine components, such as dies, molds, and cutters, according to specifications, using hand tools and measuring devices.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fitting dies, molds and cutters uses hand tools at the machine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Feeding products into machines by hand or conveyor
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: products, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Feed products into machines by hand or conveyor.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Feeding product into machines is physical.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Moving materials, supplies, components and finished products between storage and work areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: materials, supplies, components and finished products, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Move materials, supplies, components, and finished products between storage and work areas, using work aids such as racks, hoists, and handtrucks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Moving stock and product with hoists and handtrucks is manual handling.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Swabbing molds with solutions to prevent products from sticking
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: molds, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Swab molds with solutions to prevent products from sticking.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Swabbing molds with release solution is done by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Activating machines to shape or form products
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Activate machines to shape or form products, such as candy bars, light bulbs, balloons, or insulation panels.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running the forming machines is physical operation.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Removing molds, mold components and feeder tubes from machinery after production is complete
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: molds, mold components and feeder tubes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Remove molds, mold components, and feeder tubes from machinery after production is complete.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Removing molds and feeder tubes is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Removing materials or products from molds or from extruding
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Remove materials or products from molds or from extruding, forming, pressing, or compacting machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Taking product out of molds and stacking it is manual work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Measuring, mixing, cutting, shaping, soften and join materials and ingredients
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: soften, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Measure, mix, cut, shape, soften, and join materials and ingredients, such as powder, cornmeal, or rubber to prepare them for machine processing.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cutting, shaping and joining materials by hand is physical preparation.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Disassembling equipment to repair it or to replace parts
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Disassemble equipment to repair it or to replace parts, such as nozzles, punches, and filters.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Stripping equipment down to replace parts is hands-on.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Pouring scoop or dump specified ingredients, metal assemblies or mixtures into sections of machine prior to starting machines
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: scoop, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Pour, scoop, or dump specified ingredients, metal assemblies, or mixtures into sections of machine prior to starting machines.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Pouring and scooping ingredients into the machine is manual.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Installing align and adjusting neck rings, press plungers and feeder tubes
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: align, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Install, align, and adjust neck rings, press plungers, and feeder tubes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fitting and aligning rings, plungers and tubes is precise handwork.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Coupling air and gas lines to machines to maintain plasticity of material and to regulate solidification of final products
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: air, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Couple air and gas lines to machines to maintain plasticity of material and to regulate solidification of final products.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Connecting air and gas lines is hands-on.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Measuring arbors and dies to verify sizes specified on work tickets
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: arbors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Measure arbors and dies to verify sizes specified on work tickets.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Measuring dies against the work ticket means handling them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $45,760a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 58,770in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: production data in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: recording and maintaining production data. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where control buttons get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 6% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 0% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 94% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 26 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Recording and maintaining production data is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to production data, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether control buttons are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders: only about 14% of its durable work is work you already do and there are far fewer of those jobs than of yours. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 9/100 here, with only 6% of the task list in the top band, and “press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment, and their equivalent is to press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications. Across both published task lists that is about 15% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 15% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. And it is a narrow door: about 14,280 of those jobs against 58,770 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 24% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already press control buttons to activate machinery and equipment, and their equivalent is to press buttons to stop machines when processes are complete or when malfunctions are…. Across both published task lists that is about 13% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 13% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. And it is a narrow door: about 12,850 of those jobs against 58,770 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 22% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Conveyor Operators and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already monitor machine operations and observe lights and gauges to detect malfunctions, and their equivalent is to observe conveyor operations and monitor lights, dials, and gauges to maintain specified operating…. Across both published task lists that is about 12% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 12% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
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What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 6% of its task weight, across 26 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like pressing control buttons to activate machinery and equipment arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Food, drink and tobacco process operatives is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Food, drink and tobacco process operatives. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

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No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for extruding / forming / pressing / compacting machine setters / operators / tenders, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 6% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for extruding / forming / pressing / compacting machine setters / operators / tenders. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

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No Space for extruding / forming / pressing / compacting machine setters / operators / tenders yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for extruding / forming / pressing / compacting machine setters / operators / tenders existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

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This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 26 official task statements scored for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (United States, SOC 51-9041), 6% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 9 out of 100 (range 7–14, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Record and maintain production data, such as meter readings, and quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced” (62/100, high); “Review work orders, specifications, or instructions to determine materials, ingredients, procedures, components, settings, and adjustments for extruding, for…” (38/100, low); “Complete work tickets, and place them with products” (38/100, low). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” stay human?: About 94% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Measure arbors and dies to verify sizes specified on work tickets” (0/100, minimal); “Couple air and gas lines to machines to maintain plasticity of material and to regulate solidification of final products” (0/100, minimal); “Install, align, and adjust neck rings, press plungers, and feeder tubes” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 6% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 94% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 26 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
1 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.