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.

JOB SCORE

3.5/10

What's this?

Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

66% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Decision-making and problem solving

Quite important

Why this matters

Analyze information, weigh tradeoffs, and choose the best solution—especially when situations are ambiguous, high-stakes, or have real-world consequences.

Jobs that also use this strength

What users think

Based on 203 votes

54% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 66% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Machinists will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Highly likely

Moderate

Uncertain

Low

No chance

Sentiment

Based on user votes over time

View sentiment trend

How opinions have changed over time

Pay & outlook

Wages

Low paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Machinists was $56,150 ($27 per hour).

The median annual wage for Machinists was 13.4% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Slow growth relative to other professions.

The number of 'Machinists' job openings is expected to remain the same by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 298,790 people employed as 'Machinists' within the United States.

This represents around 0.19% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 516 people are employed as 'Machinists'.

What people are saying (14)

BigMan (No chance)

17 Aug 2025 16:22

There are far too many small discrepancies involved in machining that require human attention. Far too many highly skilled manual tasks that can not be automated. There’s just way too much to machining that non machinists just don’t understand. A lot more than loading a part and pushing a button.

August (Low)

09 May 2023 08:30

The machines can make parts but you will always need someone to observe and operate the machines as there are many dexterous tasks that will be unable to be done by machines. In addition due to the highly precision nature many small errors such as poorly cleaning off a tool holder or not detecting metal chips or burrs which happen unpredictably and inconsistently it will be incredibly difficult to automate the entire process.

Anthony (Low)

01 May 2023 20:55

Machining has a large amounts of variables that change with each job. Simple operations could see automation, but complicated components will likely always need human input.

Daryl

14 Nov 2022 02:59

CNC machinists/programmers will be the individuals setting up, programming, and running the robots that will take a lot of currently existing jobs. Good machinists will soon be running CNC and are also likely to be running 3D printers and robotics.

Robotics and automation currently play, and will continue to play, a larger role in a CNC machinist's career. CNC machinists won't lose jobs to automation; they will be the ones who implement the automation that costs a lot of other jobs.

However, there has been historically, and will continue to be, fewer machinists and workers involved in manufacturing. But CNC machinists will never be non-existent.

Deductive manufacturing currently doesn't have the technology to be replaced, but maybe someday the tech will.

TA Smith (No chance)

02 Sep 2022 21:59

True experienced machinists are important in setting up current CNC machines. However, machine operators being needed to perform manual functions will be replaced with AI enhanced robots. Even today where robots are operating 24/7, their cost paid for quickly.

vik (Low)

06 Apr 2024 23:45

i believe, we need to have ultra advanced machines to replace what a mechanical machinist do with, inclusion of robots at the workstation, competent enough to setup a machine and produce dimensionally accurate parts.

Alan

25 Jan 2023 14:34

I worked the machinist field well over 4 decades starting mid 70s mostly running milling machines CNC eliminated rotory tables, manual index head and tailstock, manually cutting splines, racks, cutting helix on gear driven head

Alex (Low)

22 May 2026 14:30

While the job is already highly automated, and AI is likely to become "smart" enough to program, the robotics required to swap parts is still far and away from becoming cheap and accessible enough to put this job at risk

Gabriel (Low)

24 Apr 2019 20:06

Currently a machinist, as a disclosure. Currently, there is this ongoing idea that the field of machining is slated to be overrun by automation. What this fails to take in to account is the fact that this has already largely happened. Machinists themselves are growing fewer in number and greater in age. CNC Machines have made a large number of machining processes and related workers redunant, but this revolution took place decades ago already.

Ron Leffers

05 Jun 2020 15:21

I think that machinist will have to some day work with robots and computer machines.

Tim Postma (Highly likely)

03 May 2019 18:11

Machinists are very likely to be automated because of additive manufacturing especially 3D Printing , even though i am not employed, i have however been personally studying the topic of automation for at least 4 years on some of my spare time almost everyday

trogdor (Moderate)

19 Dec 2023 09:10

CNC is pretty automated at it is already.

Paul Chapman (Highly likely)

25 Oct 2020 12:45

Corp. Looking for ways to increase their profits, efficiency and speed in manufacturing. AI will be to manufacturing as e-commerce is to retail.

TA Smith

02 Sep 2022 22:02

It’s the machine operators that will and are being replaced. Experienced machinists are important for setting up and programming the CNC machines.

Job description

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.

O*NET-SOC code: 51-4041.00

Machinists

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At a glance

Occupation snapshot