Compare Occupations

SUMMARY
87%
Imminent Risk
38%
Low Risk
66%
High Risk
61%
High Risk
70%
High Risk
81%
Imminent Risk
JOB SCORE 3.0/10 5.2/10 3.5/10 2.8/10 2.9/10 1.5/10
POLLING
70%
(High Risk, Based on 15 votes)
54%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 29 votes)
54%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 203 votes)
65%
(High Risk, Based on 27 votes)
There hasn't been enough votes on this occupation yet
78%
(High Risk, Based on 18 votes)
GROWTH
by year 2034
1.2%
1.2%
0.0%
-0.5%
2.0%
-3.8%
WAGES
$46,980
or $22.58 per hour
$71,190
or $34.22 per hour
$56,150
or $26.99 per hour
$46,060
or $22.14 per hour
$45,130
or $21.70 per hour
$41,230
or $19.82 per hour
VOLUME
as of 2024
65,700
685,140
298,790
129,850
57,310
154,820
SNOWFLAKE [?] The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes. Snowflake diagram for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Snowflake diagram for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Snowflake diagram for Machinists Snowflake diagram for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Snowflake diagram for Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Snowflake diagram for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
DESCRIPTION Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes. Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Excludes team or work leaders. Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures. Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot. Set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics. Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

Compare Occupations Side by Side

Curious how automation and AI could affect your career? Our comparison tool lets you view two or more jobs side by side, helping you quickly spot differences in risk level, pay, growth, and popularity. All of this is based on a mix of academic research, user polling, and official labour data.

Automation Risk

Each occupation shows a probability of automation. A higher score means machines and algorithms are more likely to take over the role in the future.

Job Score

A quick summary of how a job performs overall — factoring in wages, growth, volume, and automation risk. It’s a handy way to see the bigger picture at a glance.

Polling Data

Thousands of visitors cast their votes on how “automatable” each job feels. These community insights are shown alongside the calculated probabilities.

Growth & Wages

See how fast each occupation is projected to grow and what people earn on average. High wages don’t always mean high security — automation risk still matters.

Volume of Workers

Explore how many people currently work in each occupation and in which year the data was recorded. Popularity can affect how disruptive automation will be for the wider economy.

The Snowflake Diagram

Each snowflake visualises the balance between automation risk, wages, growth, and job volume. Bigger and greener areas mean stronger performance in that dimension.

Use this comparison page to research careers, guide students, or simply explore the future of work. All data is regularly updated to keep the results relevant.