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Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

reading blueprints, laying out, fit or connecting parts, tending auxiliary equipment used in welding processes and giving directions to other workers regarding machine set-up. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: preparing metal surfaces or workpieces is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

What shifts is selecting torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing or wiring: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines. The job title says “welding”, “soldering”, “brazing machine setters”, “operators” or “tenders”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: preparing metal surfaces or workpieces. 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 welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders is not one task. It is 29 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is preparing metal surfaces or workpieces, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI
0%
changing shape
16%
staying human
84%

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

Whole-job exposure score 10 out of 100 (8–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 29 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 welding, soldering, and brazing 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.

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.

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

4 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.

  • Reading blueprints, work orders or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications

    The software now makes the first pass at blueprints, work orders or production schedules, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.” (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: Software reads drawings and work orders well, but turning them into a job setup still leans on shop knowledge.

    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.

  • Selecting torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing or wiring

    The software now makes the first pass at torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium 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: Picking the right tip, wire or flux is a chart lookup, which software does very well.

    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 3/4.

  • Recording operational information on specified production reports

    The software now makes the first pass at operational information, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Record operational information on specified production reports.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (52–60 allowing for uncertainty): partial 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: Filling in production reports is routine record-keeping software does reliably.

    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 3/4.

  • Computing and recording settings for new work

    The software now makes the first pass at settings, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium 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: Calculating and recording machine settings from metal properties is documented arithmetic software handles well.

    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 3/4.

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.

  • Inspecting, measuring or testing completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices

    This work happens in the physical world: completed metal workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Measuring and testing finished parts needs gauges in hand on the real workpiece.

    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 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Preparing metal surfaces or workpieces

    This work happens in the physical world: metal surfaces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.” (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, cutting and drilling metal surfaces 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 1/4.

  • Cleaning lubricate, maintain and adjusting equipment to maintain efficient operation

    This work happens in the physical world: lubricate, maintain and adjusting equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, 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: Cleaning and lubricating equipment is hands-on maintenance.

    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.

  • Setting up, operate or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies

    This work happens in the physical world: up, operate or tend welding machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.” (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 a welding machine is physical work 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.

  • Giving directions to other workers regarding machine set-up

    This work happens in the physical world: directions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.

    The rating behind it: Showing other workers how to set up a machine happens beside them on the shop 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 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Marking weld points and positions of components on workpieces

    This work happens in the physical world: weld points, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.” (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: Marking weld points on the workpiece is done with a scribe 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 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 19 tasks

  • Devising or building fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: fixtures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 3 · Core
    Source: “Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Software can sketch a jig design, but building it is metalwork done in the shop.

    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 2/4.

  • Laying out, fit or connecting parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: out, fit or connecting parts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Fitting and connecting parts for bonding is hand work on the metal.

    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 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Observing meters, gauges or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: meters, gauges or machine operations, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Watching meters and machine behavior requires being at the machine to act on what you see.

    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 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

  • Turning and pressing knobs and buttons or entering operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: knobs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding 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: Pressing the buttons that start the welding machine 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 2/4.

  • Loading or feeding workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.” (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 workpieces into the machine is manual loading.

    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.

  • Correcting problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: problems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding 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: Correcting a fault by adjusting controls and opening clamps is hands-on machine 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.

  • Starting, monitoring and adjusting robotic welding production lines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: robotic welding production lines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.” (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: Starting and adjusting a robot welding line still needs an operator physically at the cell.

    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.

  • Assembling align and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat or solder fabricated metal components

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: align, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.” (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: Clamping workpieces into fixtures is manual positioning 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.

  • Conducting trial runs before welding

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: trial runs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing, and make necessary adjustments to 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: Running a trial weld and tweaking the machine is done with hands on 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.

  • Dressing electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths or dressing wheels

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: electrodes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 3 · Supplemental
    Source: “Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.” (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: Dressing electrodes with files and dressers is hand work on the tooling.

    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 completed workpieces or parts from machinery

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: completed workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using 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 finished parts off the machine 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.

  • Selecting, positioning, align and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides or stops onto machines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: align, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments 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: Positioning and bolting jigs onto the machine is physical setup 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.

  • Setting dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles or shut-

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: dials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.” (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 dials for current, gas flow and timing means standing 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.

  • Tending auxiliary equipment used in welding processes

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: auxiliary equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.” (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: Tending auxiliary welding equipment is physical machine attendance.

    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.

  • Filling hoppers and positioning spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: hoppers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of 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: Filling hoppers and aiming flux spouts is hand work 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.

  • Transferring components, metal products or assemblies, using moving equipment

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: components, metal products or assemblies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving 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: Moving parts and assemblies with handling equipment 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.

  • Adding chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: chemicals, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool 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: Adding chemicals or coolant to the workpiece is done by hand 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.

  • Annealing finished workpieces to relieve internal stress

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: finished workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.” (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: Annealing parts means loading and running a furnace in the shop.

    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.

  • Immersing completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and cleaning components

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: completed workpieces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 3 · Supplemental
    Source: “Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.” (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: Dipping finished parts into cooling or cleaning baths 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.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay
$47,920a 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
31,600in 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: torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: selecting torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing or wiring and reading blueprints. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where metal surfaces 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: preparing metal surfaces or workpieces 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, 16% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 84% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 29 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. Selecting torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing or wiring 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 torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, 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 metal surfaces 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 reading blueprints, work orders or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications. 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 welding, soldering, and brazing 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 multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: only about 13% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 10/100 here, with only 0% of the task list in the top band, and “read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job…” 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.

  • Multiple Machine Tool 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 give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use, and their equivalent is to instruct other workers in machine set-up and operation. 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.

    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 select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines…, and their equivalent is to position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces…. Across both published task lists that is about 10% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 10% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool 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 inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using…, and their equivalent is to inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments. Across both published task lists that is about 10% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 10% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.

    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 29 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 preparing metal surfaces or workpieces 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.

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 welding / soldering / brazing machine setters / operators / tenders 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 welding / soldering / brazing 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 welding / soldering / brazing machine setters / operators / tenders existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for welding / soldering / brazing machine setters / operators / tenders 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 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 29 official task statements scored for Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (United States, SOC 51-4122), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 10 out of 100 (range 8–15, 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 “Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” can AI already do?
The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Record operational information on specified production reports” (56/100, partial); “Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records” (56/100, partial); “Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics” (56/100, partial). 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 “Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” stay human?
About 84% 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: “Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components” (0/100, minimal); “Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress” (0/100, minimal); “Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes” (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 “Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” do about AI?
Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 84% 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 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing 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 29 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.
  • 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.

How we score a jobDownload this releaseLook 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 . 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.