Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Explore safer careers (2)
Lower estimated automation risk
Why it fits
Transfers visual inspection, defect sorting, product standards, sampling, records, and quality decisions.
Why it fits
Directly reuses shoe materials, stitching, adhesives, finishing, inspection, small tools, and repair or production judgment.
Alternative careers
Related career paths that build on similar skills and experience
Why it fits
Uses machine operation, fabric or leather handling, seams, thread, adjustments, production pace, and quality checks.
Why it fits
Reuses bonding, adhesives, machine tending, surface preparation, cycle checks, safety procedures, and finished-part inspection.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
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
Imminent Risk (81-100%): This occupation appears highly exposed to end-to-end replacement by AI, software, robotics, or other computer-controlled systems. Roles in this range often involve predictable, repeatable, or rules-based work with limited need for human judgement, trust, creativity, or adaptation to messy real-world conditions. This does not mean every job will disappear immediately, but it is a strong signal to consider safer alternatives or start building more resilient skills.
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.
What users think
Based on 123 votes
Our visitors have voted that it's very probable this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 83% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
Sentiment
Based on user votes over time
View sentiment trend
How opinions have changed over time
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders was $38,160 ($18 per hour).
The median annual wage for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders was 22.9% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders' job openings is expected to decline 3.7% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 3,270 people employed as 'Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders' within the United States.
This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 47 thousand people are employed as 'Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders'.
People also viewed
Job description
Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
O*NET-SOC code: 51-6042.00
What people are saying (2)
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