Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-4193.00
Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· 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
0.17–0.20· 2 ISCO-08 groups
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.
ILO value for each linked ISCO-08 group
- ISCO-08 8122Metal Finishing, Plating and Coating Machine Operators0.20
- ISCO-08 8142Plastic Products Machine Operators0.17
Task-level exposure
Show 38 hidden tasks38 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (10.5%)
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
- 5 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Tasks of O*NET-SOC 2010 occupation 51-4193.00 Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, linked to this occupation by the O*NET-SOC 2010 to 2019 crosswalk
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.51-4193.00 | 0.0030100.0 | 0.0025100.0 |
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 |
|---|---|
Maintain production records.O*NET Task ID 10316 | 1.0 |
Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines.O*NET Task ID 10335 | 1.0 |
Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.O*NET Task ID 10309 | 0.5 |
Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.O*NET Task ID 10328 | 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 (33)
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 |
|---|---|
| Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage. | Core |
| Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times. | Core |
| Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. | Core |
| Maintain production records. | Core |
| Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications. | Core |
| Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur. | Core |
| Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes. | Core |
| Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels. | Core |
| Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers. | Core |
| Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines. | Core |
| Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating. | Supplemental |
| Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment. | Supplemental |
| Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly. | Supplemental |
| Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles. | Supplemental |
| Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment. | Supplemental |
| Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks. | Supplemental |
| Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors. | Supplemental |
| Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers. | Supplemental |
| Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required. | Supplemental |
| Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions. | Supplemental |
| Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers. | Supplemental |
| Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales. | Supplemental |
| Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions. | Supplemental |
| Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating. | Supplemental |
| Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions. | Supplemental |
| Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time. | Supplemental |
| Read production schedules to determine setups of equipment and machines. | Supplemental |
| Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies. | Supplemental |
| Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools. | Supplemental |
| Preheat workpieces in ovens. | Supplemental |
| Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools. | Supplemental |
| Clean workpieces, using wire brushes. | Supplemental |
| Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces. | Supplemental |
0.95/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Position and feed materials into processing machines, by hand or by using automated equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Adjust controls to set temperatures of coating substances and speeds of machines and equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks. | E2 structured facilities |
| Perform equipment maintenance, such as cleaning tanks and lubricating moving parts of conveyors. | E0 none |
| Clean and maintain equipment, using water hoses and scrapers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Suspend sticks or pieces of plating metal from anodes, or positive terminals, and immerse metal in plating solutions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Monitor and measure thicknesses of electroplating on component parts to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Suspend objects, such as parts or molds from cathode rods, or negative terminals, and immerse objects in plating solutions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Mix and test solutions, and turn valves to fill tanks with solutions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Place plated or coated materials on racks and transfer them to ovens to dry for specified periods of time. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Preheat workpieces in ovens. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Replace worn parts and adjust equipment components, using hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean workpieces, using wire brushes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate sandblasting equipment to roughen and clean surfaces of workpieces. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 33K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 30K
- Change (2025–35)
- -9.7%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $43,960
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84222 | 전기 도금기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 84223 | 용융 도금기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 84229 | 그 외 도금 및 금속 분무기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 84224 | 금속 분무기 조작원 | Related, not a match | 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 8122Metal Finishing, Plating and Coating Machine Operators
- ISCO-08 8142Plastic Products Machine Operators
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.
- anodising machine operatorESCO 8122.2This occupation is broader
Anodising machine operators set up and tend anodising machines designed to provide otherwise finished metal workpieces, usually aluminum-based, with a durable, anodic oxide, corrosion-resistant finishing coat, by a electrolyctic passiviation process that increases the thickness of the natural oxide layer of the metal workpieces' surface.
- coating machine operatorESCO 8122.3This occupation is broader
Coating machine operators set up and tend coating machines that coat metal products with a thin layer of covering of materials such as lacquer, enamel, copper, nickel, zinc, cadmium, chromium or other metal layering in order to protect or decorate the metal products' surfaces. They run all coating machine stations on multiple coaters.
- dip tank operatorESCO 8122.6This occupation is broader
Dip tank operators set up and tend dip tanks, which are coating machines, designed to provide otherwise finished work pieces with durable coating by dipping them in a tank of a specific sort of paint, preservative or molten zinc.
- electroplating machine operatorESCO 8122.7This occupation is broader
Electroplating machine operators set up and tend electroplating machines designed to finish and coat the metal workpieces' (such as future pennies and jewelry) surface by using electric current to dissolve metal cations and to bond a thin layer of another metal, such as zinc, copper or silver, to produce a coherent metal coating to the workpiece's surface.
- enamellerESCO 8122.8This occupation is broader
Enamellers embellish metals such as gold, silver, copper, steel, cast iron or platinum by painting it. The enamel they apply, consists of coloured powdered glass.
- lacquer spray gun operatorESCO 7132.1Overlapping, not the same
Lacquer spray gun operators operate lacquer spray guns designed to provide otherwise finished metal, wooden or plastic workpieces with a hard, durable finishing coat, through lacquer coating or paint that is either matte, sheen or highly glossy, but is always meant for hard surfaces.
- metal polisherESCO 7224.1Overlapping, not the same
Metal polishers use metal working equipment and machinery to polish and buff almost finished metal workpieces in order to enhance their smoothness and appearance and to remove oxidisation, tarnishing the metal after the other fabrication processes. They may operate equipment using diamond solutions, silicon-made polishing pads, or working wheels with a leather polishing strop, and tend to these materials ensuring their effectiveness.
- rustprooferESCO 8122.10Overlapping, not the same
Rustproofers use the proper equipment and machinery to provide metal workpieces with a hard, durable finishing coat, composed of specific chemical formulas, that prevents or delays iron and steel pieces from rusting and protects against corrosion.
- surface treatment operatorESCO 7132.2Overlapping, not the same
Surface treatment operators apply chemicals and paint to the material surface in order to protect against corrosion. They calculate the materials needed for surface protection.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H3410 | Galvanoplaste industriel / Galvanoplaste industrielle | Same scopeprovisional |
| H3407 | Metteur au bain / Metteuse au bain argenture - dorure en orfèvrerie | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| H3402 | Opérateur / Opératrice de traitement de surface | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8122 | Operadores de máquinas pulidoras, galvanizadoras y recubridoras de metales | This occupation is narrower |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 24302 | Berufe in der Metalloberflächenbehandlung (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 24301 | Berufe in der Metalloberflächenbehandlung (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 24303 | Berufe in der Metalloberflächenbehandlung (ohne Spezialisierung) - 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 497 | 金属彫刻・表面処理設備制御・監視員 | Overlapping, not the same |
| 527 | 金属彫刻・表面処理従事者 | Overlapping, not the same |
| 538 | ゴム・プラスチック製品製造従事者 | 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