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Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

setting up, program, operate or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, installing and adjusting blades, cutterheads, boring-bits or sanding-belts, trimming wood parts and unclamping workpieces and removing them from machines. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: examining finished workpieces is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

What shifts is determining product specifications and materials: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. The job title says “woodworking machine setters”, “operators”, “tenders” or “except sawing”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: examining finished 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing is not one task. It is 25 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is examining finished workpieces, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI
0%
changing shape
5%
staying human
95%

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

Whole-job exposure score 5 out of 100 (4–9 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 25 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing 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.

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

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.

  • Determining product specifications and materials

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.” (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: Working out the setup and method from a drawing or work order is paperwork that software reads 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

24 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.

  • Examining finished workpieces

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Checking a finished piece with hands, calipers and gauges is physical inspection.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · 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 3/4.

  • Starting machines, adjust controls and making trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly

    This work happens in the physical world: machines, adjust controls and making trial cuts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Starting a machine and making trial cuts 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 3/4.

  • Monitoring operation of machines and making adjustments to correct problems and ensuring conformance to specifications

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Watching a running machine and adjusting it means standing at it.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · 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 3/4.

  • Cleaning or maintaining products, machines or work areas

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Cleaning and maintaining machines and work areas 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 3/4.

  • Setting up, program, operate or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Setting up and running woodworking machines 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 3/4.

  • Examining raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.” (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: Spotting defects in raw timber is done by eye and hand at the stack.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · 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.

  • Installing and adjusting blades, cutterheads, boring-bits or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules

    This work happens in the physical world: blades, cutterheads, boring-bits or sanding-belts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Fitting blades, cutterheads and sanding belts is hands-on work with 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 3/4.

  • Changing alignment and adjustment of sanding

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Realigning machine guides to stop defects is physical adjustment.

    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 3/4.

  • Removing and replacing worn parts

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Remove and replace worn parts, bits, belts, sandpaper, or shaping 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Swapping worn bits, belts and sandpaper is hands-on 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 3/4.

Show the other 15 tasks

  • Setting up, program or controlling computer-aided design, CAD) or computer numerical control, CNC) machines

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: up, program or controlling computer-aided design, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.

    Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Writing the CNC program is screen work, but loading and controlling the machine happens on the shop floor.

    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 knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits or belts

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
    How this row was scored

    Exposure score: 34 out of 100 (27–41 allowing for uncertainty): low 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: Choosing the right blade or bit follows documented rules, but the tooling is picked at the machine.

    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 2/4.

  • Feeding stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Feeding stock into planing, boring or sanding machines 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 3/4.

  • Adjusting machine tables or cutting devices and setting controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Adjusting machine tables and cutting devices 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 3/4.

  • Inspecting and marking completed workpieces and stacking them on pallets

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Inspecting, marking and stacking finished pieces is physical work.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · 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 3/4.

  • Pushing or holding workpieces

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Push or hold workpieces against, under, or through cutting, boring, or shaping mechanisms.” (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: Holding a workpiece against a cutter 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.

  • Inspecting pulleys, drive belts, guards or fences on machines to ensure that machines will operate safely

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: pulleys, drive belts, guards or fences, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Inspect pulleys, drive belts, guards, or fences on machines to ensure that machines will operate safely.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Checking belts, guards and fences for safety means looking at the machine itself.

    The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · 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 3/4.

  • Securing woodstock against a guide or in a holding device

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Clamping and loading woodstock into machines 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 3/4.

  • Attaching and adjusting guides, stops, clamps, chucks or feed mechanisms, using hand tools

    staying human

    This work happens in the physical world: guides, stops, clamps, chucks or feed mechanisms, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, 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: Fitting clamps, chucks and guides with hand tools is manual 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.

  • Operating gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Operate gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together, or to press and affix wood veneer to wood surfaces.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Running a gluing or veneer press 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 3/4.

  • Trimming wood parts

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Trim wood parts according to specifications, using planes, chisels, or wood files or sanders.” (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: Planes, chisels and files have to be worked over the timber 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.

  • Unclamping workpieces and removing them from machines

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Unclamp workpieces and remove them from 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Unclamping and lifting parts off machines 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 3/4.

  • Starting machines and moving levers to engage hydraulic lifts that press woodstocks into desired forms and disengage lifts after appropriate drying times

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Supplemental
    Source: “Start machines and move levers to engage hydraulic lifts that press woodstocks into desired forms and disengage lifts after appropriate drying times.” (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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Working levers and hydraulic presses is physical machine 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 3/4.

  • Controlling hoists to remove parts or products from work stations

    staying human

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

    importance 3 · Supplemental
    Source: “Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations.” (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: Operating a hoist to move parts between stations 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.

  • Greasing or oiling woodworking machines

    staying human

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

    importance 4 · Core
    Source: “Grease or oil woodworking 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: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.

    The rating behind it: Greasing and oiling machines is physical 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 3/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay
$43,380a 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
61,420in 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: product specifications in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: determining product specifications and materials. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where finished workpieces 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: examining finished 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, 5% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 95% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 25 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. Determining product specifications and materials 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 product specifications, 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 finished workpieces 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 determining product specifications and materials. 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: only about 9% of its durable work is work you already do. 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 “examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications…” 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.

  • 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 clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas, and their equivalent is to clean work area. Across both published task lists that is about 9% of the durable work in that job.

    Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 9% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • Textile Cutting 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 start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is…, and their equivalent is to start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed. 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. It is a pay cut, in those words: $38,760 against your $43,380, 10.7% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice. And it is a narrow door: about 9,000 of those jobs against 61,420 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 15% as many seats.

    Look at that job’s page anyway →

  • 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 attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools, and their equivalent is to position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or…. 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.

    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 25 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 examining finished 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 Paper and wood machine operatives is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Paper and wood machine operatives. 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 woodworking machine setters / operators / tenders / except sawing 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 woodworking machine setters / operators / tenders / except sawing 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 woodworking machine setters / operators / tenders / except sawing 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 woodworking machine setters / operators / tenders / except sawing 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 25 official task statements scored for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing (United States, SOC 51-7042), 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 4–9, 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 “Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing” can AI already do?
The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings…” (56/100, partial); “Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines” (38/100, low); “Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications” (34/100, 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 “Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing” stay human?
About 95% 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: “Grease or oil woodworking machines” (0/100, minimal); “Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations” (0/100, minimal); “Start machines and move levers to engage hydraulic lifts that press woodstocks into desired forms and disengage lifts after appropriate drying times” (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 “Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing” do about AI?
Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 95% 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 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 25 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.
  • 3 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
  • Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Task statements
onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights
onet-db (im-rt)
Scores
Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-04.
Pay and employment
bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

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

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

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

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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.