Tool and Die Makers
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-4111.00
Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.20
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 16 hidden tasks17 rated tasks · 5 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (29.4%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, and dial indicators.51-4111.00 | 0.0842100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.O*NET Task ID 8492 | 1.0 |
Develop and design new tools and dies, using computer-aided design software.O*NET Task ID 8504 | 1.0 |
Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.O*NET Task ID 8489 | 0.5 |
Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.O*NET Task ID 8491 | 0.5 |
Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.O*NET Task ID 8496 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (17)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies. | Core |
| Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators. | Core |
| Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications. | Core |
| Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes. | Core |
| File, grind, shim, and adjust different parts to properly fit them together. | Core |
| Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary. | Core |
| Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects. | Core |
| Smooth and polish flat and contoured surfaces of parts or tools, using scrapers, abrasive stones, files, emery cloths, or power grinders. | Core |
| Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plates. | Core |
| Measure, mark, and scribe metal or plastic stock to lay out machining, using instruments such as protractors, micrometers, scribes, or rulers. | Core |
| Cut, shape, and trim blanks or blocks to specified lengths or shapes, using power saws, power shears, rules, and hand tools. | Core |
| Design jigs, fixtures, and templates for use as work aids in the fabrication of parts or products. | Core |
| Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness or heat tolerance. | Core |
| Set up and operate drill presses to drill and tap holes in parts for assembly. | Core |
| Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders. | Core |
| Develop and design new tools and dies, using computer-aided design software. | Supplemental |
| Set pyrometer controls of heat-treating furnaces and feed or place parts, tools, or assemblies into furnaces to harden. | Supplemental |
0.59/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| File, grind, shim, and adjust different parts to properly fit them together. | E0 none |
| Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary. | E0 none |
| Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Smooth and polish flat and contoured surfaces of parts or tools, using scrapers, abrasive stones, files, emery cloths, or power grinders. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plates. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure, mark, and scribe metal or plastic stock to lay out machining, using instruments such as protractors, micrometers, scribes, or rulers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Cut, shape, and trim blanks or blocks to specified lengths or shapes, using power saws, power shears, rules, and hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up and operate drill presses to drill and tap holes in parts for assembly. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders. | E0 none |
| Set pyrometer controls of heat-treating furnaces and feed or place parts, tools, or assemblies into furnaces to harden. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 57K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 52K
- Change (2025–35)
- -9.2%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $64,050
- Typical education needed for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74010 | 금형원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 85515 | 공구 조립원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 7222Toolmakers and Related Workers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Toolmakers and related workers make and repair custom-made and specialised tools, sports guns, locks, dies, patterns, machinery components and other metal articles using hand and machine tools to work metal to fine tolerances.
Tasks
- (a) reading and interpreting engineering drawings and specifications of tools, dies, prototypes or models;
- (b) preparing templates and sketches, and determining work processes;
- (c) visualizing and computing dimensions, sizes, shapes and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications;
- (d) positioning, securing and measuring metal stock or castings to lay out for machining;
- (e) setting up, operating and maintaining conventional and computer numerically controlled machine tools to cut, turn, mill, plane, drill, bore, grind or otherwise shape work pieces to prescribed dimensions and finish;
- (f) fitting and assembling parts to make and repair jigs, fixtures and gauges;
- (g) repairing and modifying sports guns and other small arms;
- (h) making, fitting, assembling, repairing and installing lock parts and locks;
- (i) making and repairing metal patterns for preparation of foundry moulds;
- (j) laying out lines and reference points on metal stock to guide other workers who cut, turn, mill, grind or otherwise shape metal;
- (k) verifying dimensions, alignments and clearances of finished parts for conformity with specifications, using precision measuring instruments and testing completed items for proper operation.
Example occupations
Die maker · Gunsmith · Jig maker · Locksmith · Patternmaker · Toolmaker
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- tool and die makerESCO 7222.5Same scope
Tool and die makers operate a variety of equipment and machinery designed to create metal tools and dies, which are both needed in several areas of manufacturing, and produce these tools in all steps of the production process. They design the tools and dies, then cut and shape them to size and finish them by manually operated machine tools, power tools, hand tools, or programming and tending CNC tool and die making machines.
- fitter and turnerESCO 7223.7Overlapping, not the same
Fitters and turners use machine tools to create and modify metal parts according to set specifications in order to fit components for machinery. They ensure the finished components are ready for assembly.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H2901 | Ajusteur-monteur / Ajusteuse-monteuse | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| H3408 | Metteur au point polisseur / Metteuse au point polisseuse sur matrice en orfèvrerie | This occupation is broader |
| H2903 | Usineur / Usineuse | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 7322 | Trabajadores de la fabricación de herramientas, mecánico-ajustadores, modelistas, matriceros y afines | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 24522 | Berufe in der Werkzeugtechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 24523 | Berufe in der Werkzeugtechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 529 | その他の製品製造・加工処理従事者（金属製品） | This occupation is narrower |
| 523 | 金属工作機械作業従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources