Will AI replace Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 30 official task statements scored for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (United States, SOC 51-4121), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 5 out of 100 (range 3–10, 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 “Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Analyze engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and operations” (43/100, partial); “Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques” (38/100, low); “Develop templates and models for welding projects, using mathematical calculations based on blueprint information” (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 “Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers” stay human?

About 98% 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: “Use fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies” (0/100, minimal); “Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment” (0/100, minimal); “Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces” (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 “Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 98% 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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 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 30 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.

US dataswitch to UK

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

operating safety equipment and using safe work habits, marking or tagging material with proper job number, melting, and applying soldering along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints and monitoring the fitting. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: operating safety equipment and using safe work habits 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: 0%
changing shape: 2%
staying human: 98%

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

Whole-job exposure score 5 out of 100 (3–10 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 30 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 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers 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 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

What shifts is analyzing engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly and operations: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products. The job title says “welders”, “cutters”, “solderers” or “brazers”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: operating safety equipment and using safe work habits. 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 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers is not one task. It is 30 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is operating safety equipment and using safe work habits, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 0%
changing shape: 2%
staying human: 98%

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 2026-08-04. 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.

One task scored differently between repeat runs, so its range on this page is wider. We would rather show the wobble than hide it.
5 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

0 tasks

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.

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.

Changing shape

1 task

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.

Analyzing engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly and operations
The software now makes the first pass at drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance not published
O*NET hasn't yet published importance ratings for this occupation's tasks, so the ordering here is ours, not theirs.
Source: “Analyze engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and operations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading drawings and work orders to plan the job is desk work, though real shop drawings still need an experienced eye.
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 3/4.

Staying human

29 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.

Operating safety equipment and using safe work habits
This work happens in the physical world: safety equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Operate safety equipment and use safe work habits.” (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: Wearing the gear and working safely at the bench is physical, so it cannot be done from a screen.
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.
Welding components in flat, vertical or overhead positions
This work happens in the physical world: components, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Welding is hands-on work with a torch on the metal.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Recognizing, setting up
This work happens in the physical world: up, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding 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: Setting up and running welding tools means handling the equipment itself.
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.
Detecting faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notifying supervisors
This work happens in the physical world: faulty operation of equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 7 out of 100 (0–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Noticing a machine or material is faulty comes from working with it, though the report is simple.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · 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 2/4.
Examining workpieces for defects and measuring workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications
This work happens in the physical world: workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.” (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: Checking a part against a straightedge means holding the part and the tool in your hands.
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.
Preparing all material surfaces
This work happens in the physical world: all material surfaces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Prepare all material surfaces to be welded, ensuring that there is no loose or thick scale, slag, rust, moisture, grease, or other foreign matter.” (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 rust, grease and scale off metal before welding is hands-on 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 2/4.
Marking or tagging material with proper job number
This work happens in the physical world: material, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.” (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: Working out which marks a piece needs is simple from the drawing, but the marks go on the steel by hand.
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.
Positioning and securing workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire and banding machines or hand tools
This work happens in the physical world: workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand tools.” (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 and securing heavy workpieces with hoists and cranes is physical 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 2/4.
Monitoring the fitting, burning and welding processes to avoid overheating of parts or warping, shrinking, distortion or expansion of material
This work happens in the physical world: the fitting, burning and welding processes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Monitor the fitting, burning, and welding processes to avoid overheating of parts or warping, shrinking, distortion, or expansion of material.” (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: Watching the weld pool and the heat as you work means being right at the joint.
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.

Show the other 20 tasks

Determining required equipment and welding methods
staying human
The ratings behind this row put required equipment well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.” (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: Choosing a welding method can be drafted from standard procedures, though the final call depends on the metal in front of you.
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.
Developing templates and models for welding projects
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: templates, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Develop templates and models for welding projects, using mathematical calculations based on blueprint information.” (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: The maths and layout for a template come straight off the drawing, though the template itself still has to be made.
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.
Selecting and installing torches, torch tips, filler rods and flux
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: torches, torch tips, filler rods and flux, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.” (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: Picking the right tip and filler from a chart is easy to look up, but fitting them is done by hand.
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.
Welding separately or in combination
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: this work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Weld separately or in combination, using aluminum, stainless steel, cast iron, and other alloys.” (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: Welding different alloys is physical work at the bench, whatever the metal.
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.
Igniting torches or starting power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: torches, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Ignite torches or start power supplies and strike arcs by touching electrodes to metals being welded, completing electrical circuits.” (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: Lighting a torch or striking an arc happens at the equipment.
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.
Connecting and turning regulator valves to activate and adjusting gas flow and pressure so that desired flames
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: regulator valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.” (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 gas valves and setting the flame happens at the equipment itself.
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.
Chipping or grinding off excess weld
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: excess weld, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Chip or grind off excess weld, slag, or spatter, using hand scrapers or power chippers, portable grinders, or arc-cutting 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: Chipping and grinding off slag and spatter is done by hand at the part.
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.
Preheating workpieces prior to welding or bending
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: workpieces prior, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Preheat workpieces prior to welding or bending, using torches or heating furnaces.” (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: Preheating metal with a torch or furnace is done at the workpiece.
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.
Aligning and clamping workpieces together
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: workpieces together, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises.” (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: Lining up and clamping parts means physically holding them in place.
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.
Guiding and directing flames or electrodes on or across workpieces
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: flames, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Guide and direct flames or electrodes on or across workpieces to straighten, bend, melt, or build up metal.” (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: Guiding a flame or electrode across metal is skilled hand 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 2/4.
Cleaning or degreasing parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders or chemical baths
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: parts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Clean or degrease parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders, or chemical baths.” (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 parts is physical preparation 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 2/4.
Melting, and applying soldering along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: along adjoining edges of workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Melt and apply solder along adjoining edges of workpieces to solder joints, using soldering irons, gas torches, or electric-ultrasonic 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: Melting solder along a joint is done with a tool in your 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 2/4.
Grinding, cutting, buff or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: buff, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Grind, cut, buff, or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit, using power grinders and hand tools.” (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: Grinding and bending edges to fit is hands-on work with power tools.
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.
Repairing products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses and hand tools
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: products, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping, and reassembling parts, using cutting torches, straightening presses, and hand tools.” (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 a product apart, straightening it and rebuilding it is physical repair 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 2/4.
Checking grooves, angles or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers and precision measuring instruments
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: grooves, angles or gap allowances, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Check grooves, angles, or gap allowances, using micrometers, calipers, and precision measuring instruments.” (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 gaps with micrometers and calipers means putting the tool on the part.
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.
Operating metal shaping, straightening and bending machines, such as brakes and shears
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: metal shaping, straightening and bending machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Operate metal shaping, straightening, and bending machines, such as brakes and shears.” (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 brakes, shears and bending machines means operating them 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 2/4.
Setting up and using ladders and scaffolding as necessary to complete work
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: this work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Set up and use ladders and scaffolding as necessary to complete work.” (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: Setting up ladders and scaffolding is physical site 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 2/4.
Hammering out bulges or bends in metal workpieces
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: bulges, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces.” (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: Hammering metal straight 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 2/4.
Melting, and applying soldering to fill holes
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: fill holes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering 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: Filling holes and seams with solder is done by hand with heat.
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.
Using fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: fire suppression methods, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Use fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies.” (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: Putting out a fire in a workshop needs people on the spot.
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: $53,750a 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: 416,210in 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 the same call made over and over on drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, where the right answer is already known. The rows above are exactly that shape: analyzing engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where safety equipment gets 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: operating safety equipment and using safe work habits is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 0% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 2% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 98% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 30 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. Analyzing engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly and operations 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 drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, 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 safety equipment is 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 analyzing engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly and operations. 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 welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was structural metal fabricators and fitters: only about 8% 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 5/100 here, with only 0% of the task list in the top band, and “operate safety equipment and use safe work habits” 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.

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already position and secure workpieces, using hoists, cranes, wire, and banding machines or hand…, and their equivalent is to move parts into position, manually or with hoists or cranes. Across both published task lists that is about 8% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 8% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 52,360 of those jobs against 416,210 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 13% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure…, and their equivalent is to measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates…. Across both published task lists that is about 7% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 7% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $46,330 against your $53,750, 13.8% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure…, and their equivalent is to inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using…. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $47,920 against your $53,750, 10.8% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice. And it is a narrow door: about 31,600 of those jobs against 416,210 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 8% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

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: 0% of its task weight, across 30 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 operating safety equipment and using safe work habits 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 Welding trades 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 Welding trades. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
American Job Center locator
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
- CareerOneStop local help hub
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop
Free

Why there is no community here

Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for welders / cutters / solderers / brazers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for welders / cutters / solderers / brazers 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 welders / cutters / solderers / brazers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for welders / cutters / solderers / brazers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 30 official task statements scored for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (United States, SOC 51-4121), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 5 out of 100 (range 3–10, 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 “Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Analyze engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and operations” (43/100, partial); “Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques” (38/100, low); “Develop templates and models for welding projects, using mathematical calculations based on blueprint information” (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 “Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers” stay human?: About 98% 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: “Use fire suppression methods in industrial emergencies” (0/100, minimal); “Melt and apply solder to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products, using soldering equipment” (0/100, minimal); “Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces” (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 “Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 98% 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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 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 30 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

About the data on this page

One task scored differently between repeat runs, so its range on this page is wider. We would rather show the wobble than hide it.
The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
5 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-with-imputed)
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.

How we score a job Download this release Look up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

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.