Somewhat Resilient

Last Update: 8/30/2026

AI Resilience Score for Machinists:

39.0%

Median Score

Meaningful human contribution

Med

Long-term employer demand

Med

Sustained economic opportunity

Low

Our confidence in this score:
Medium-high

Methodology and Scoring Rationale

To score how resilient machinist work is to AI, we ask one question in three parts:

First, how much of the job still needs a human, read from five AI-exposure sources: our own AI Resilience Model, Anthropic's Observed Exposure, Microsoft's AI Applicability, Will Robots Take My Job, and OpenAI Signals. We call this dimension Meaningful Human Contribution (MHC) and weight it at 40%.

Next, whether employers will keep hiring for this job over the long term. This dimension, which we call Long-term Employer Demand (LTE), is calculated from BLS data and weighted at 30%.

Last, whether pay and mobility will hold up. We use wage bill and adaptive capacity data from independent researchers (Althoff & Reichardt, 2026; Manning & Aguirre, 2026). We call this dimension Sustained Economic Opportunity (SEO) and weight it at 30%.

For machinists, seven of eight sources had data, with Anthropic missing. Exposure sources were split: AI Resilience Model and Microsoft rated human contribution as medium, while Will Robots Take My Job and OpenAI Signals rated it low, landing confidence at medium-high. Softer economic scores pulled the total down, leaving machinists "Somewhat Resilient."

AI Resilience Report forMachinists

$58,750 median salary•26,100 annual openings•SOC Code: 51-4041.00

Machinists are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 7 sources.

Machining is labeled "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is actively changing how the work gets done, even if it is not eliminating the job entirely. Tasks like programming, calculating tolerances, and optimizing cutting conditions are increasingly handled by AI tools, which means the role is shifting toward workers who can operate, monitor, and collaborate with these smart systems.

Learn more about how you can thrive in this position

This role is somewhat resilient

Machining is labeled "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is actively changing how the work gets done, even if it is not eliminating the job entirely. Tasks like programming, calculating tolerances, and optimizing cutting conditions are increasingly handled by AI tools, which means the role is shifting toward workers who can operate, monitor, and collaborate with these smart systems.

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Analysis of current AI resilience

Machinists

Updated quarterly

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Latest AI news for Machinists

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More Career Info

Career: Machinists

They shape and create metal parts by using machines, ensuring everything fits together perfectly for building things like cars and airplanes.

Parent Careers

Employment & Wage Data

Median Wage

$58,750

Jobs (2025)

288,300

Growth (2025-35)

+1.0%

Annual Openings

26,100

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035

Task-Level AI Resilience Scores

AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years

1

90% ResilienceSupplemental

Dismantle machines or equipment, using hand tools or power tools to examine parts for defects and replace defective parts where needed.

2

90% ResilienceSupplemental

Install experimental parts or assemblies, such as hydraulic systems, electrical wiring, lubricants, or batteries into machines or mechanisms.

3

88% ResilienceCore Task

Fit and assemble parts to make or repair machine tools.

4

88% ResilienceSupplemental

Install repaired parts into equipment or install new equipment.

5

85% ResilienceCore Task

Align and secure holding fixtures, cutting tools, attachments, accessories, or materials onto machines.

6

85% ResilienceSupplemental

Set up or operate metalworking, brazing, heat-treating, welding, or cutting equipment.

7

82% ResilienceCore Task

Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders.

Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.

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