Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-6061.00
Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.
- 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
0.021
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
0.21
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
Exposed tasks only24 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (16.7%)
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
- 2 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
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 |
|---|---|
Record production information such as fabric yardage processed, temperature readings, fabric tensions, and machine speeds.O*NET Task ID 14129 | 1.0 |
Study guides, charts, and specification sheets, and confer with supervisors to determine machine setup requirements.O*NET Task ID 14132 | 1.0 |
Key in processing instructions to program electronic equipment.O*NET Task ID 14137 | 1.0 |
Examine and feel products to identify defects and variations from coloring and other processing standards.O*NET Task ID 14128 | 0.5 |
Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results.O*NET Task ID 14121 | 0.0 |
Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.O*NET Task ID 14122 | 0.0 |
Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed.O*NET Task ID 14123 | 0.0 |
Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.O*NET Task ID 14124 | 0.0 |
Prepare dyeing machines for production runs, and conduct test runs of machines to ensure their proper operation.O*NET Task ID 14125 | 0.0 |
Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges.O*NET Task ID 14126 | 0.0 |
Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods.O*NET Task ID 14127 | 0.0 |
Test solutions used to process textile goods to detect variations from standards.O*NET Task ID 14130 | 0.0 |
Remove dyed articles from tanks and machines for drying and further processing.O*NET Task ID 14131 | 0.0 |
Confer with coworkers to get information about order details, processing plans, or problems that occur.O*NET Task ID 14133 | 0.0 |
Inspect machinery to determine necessary adjustments and repairs.O*NET Task ID 14134 | 0.0 |
Weigh ingredients to be mixed together for use in textile processing.O*NET Task ID 14135 | 0.0 |
Sew ends of cloth together, by hand or using machines, to form endless lengths of cloth to facilitate processing.O*NET Task ID 14136 | 0.0 |
Soak specified textile products for designated times.O*NET Task ID 14138 | 0.0 |
Thread ends of cloth or twine through specified sections of equipment prior to processing.O*NET Task ID 14139 | 0.0 |
Mount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment.O*NET Task ID 14140 | 0.0 |
Perform machine maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling equipment, and repair or replace worn or defective parts.O*NET Task ID 14141 | 0.0 |
Ravel seams that connect cloth ends when processing is completed.O*NET Task ID 14142 | 0.0 |
Install, level, and align components such as gears, chains, dies, cutters, and needles.O*NET Task ID 14143 | 0.0 |
Creel machines with bobbins or twine.O*NET Task ID 14144 | 0.0 |
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®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (23)
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 |
|---|---|
| Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results. | Core |
| Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions. | Core |
| Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed. | Core |
| Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly. | Core |
| Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges. | Core |
| Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods. | Core |
| Examine and feel products to identify defects and variations from coloring and other processing standards. | Core |
| Confer with coworkers to get information about order details, processing plans, or problems that occur. | Core |
| Inspect machinery to determine necessary adjustments and repairs. | Core |
| Soak specified textile products for designated times. | Core |
| Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing. | Core |
| Prepare dyeing machines for production runs, and conduct test runs of machines to ensure their proper operation. | Supplemental |
| Record production information such as fabric yardage processed, temperature readings, fabric tensions, and machine speeds. | Supplemental |
| Test solutions used to process textile goods to detect variations from standards. | Supplemental |
| Remove dyed articles from tanks and machines for drying and further processing. | Supplemental |
| Study guides, charts, and specification sheets, and confer with supervisors to determine machine setup requirements. | Supplemental |
| Sew ends of cloth together, by hand or using machines, to form endless lengths of cloth to facilitate processing. | Supplemental |
| Key in processing instructions to program electronic equipment. | Supplemental |
| Thread ends of cloth or twine through specified sections of equipment prior to processing. | Supplemental |
| Mount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment. | Supplemental |
| Perform machine maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling equipment, and repair or replace worn or defective parts. | Supplemental |
| Ravel seams that connect cloth ends when processing is completed. | Supplemental |
| Install, level, and align components such as gears, chains, dies, cutters, and needles. | Supplemental |
0.91/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed. | E2 structured facilities |
| Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods. | E2 structured facilities |
| Examine and feel products to identify defects and variations from coloring and other processing standards. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Inspect machinery to determine necessary adjustments and repairs. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Soak specified textile products for designated times. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare dyeing machines for production runs, and conduct test runs of machines to ensure their proper operation. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Test solutions used to process textile goods to detect variations from standards. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove dyed articles from tanks and machines for drying and further processing. | E2 structured facilities |
| Sew ends of cloth together, by hand or using machines, to form endless lengths of cloth to facilitate processing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Thread ends of cloth or twine through specified sections of equipment prior to processing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Mount rolls of cloth on machines, using hoists, or place textile goods in machines or pieces of equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform machine maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling equipment, and repair or replace worn or defective parts. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Ravel seams that connect cloth ends when processing is completed. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install, level, and align components such as gears, chains, dies, cutters, and needles. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 6K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 5K
- Change (2025–35)
- -12.5%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $38,180
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82121 | 표백기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 82124 | 염색기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 82129 | 그 외 표백 및 염색 관련 기계 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 72194 | 수날염원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 82122 | 염색 조색 및 배합기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 82123 | 날염기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 82291 | 가죽 및 모피 가공원 | Related, not a match | reviewed |
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 8154Bleaching, Dyeing and Fabric Cleaning 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.
- finishing textile technicianESCO 8154.1This occupation is broader
Finishing textile technicians perform operations related to setting up finishing processes. The finishing processes are the final series of operations that improves the appearance and/or usefulness of textiles.
- textile dyeing technicianESCO 8154.2This occupation is broader
Textile dyeing technicians perform operations related to setting up dyeing processes.
- textile dyerESCO 8154.3This occupation is broader
Textile dyers tend dye machines making sure that the setting of machines are in place. They prepare chemicals, dyes, dye baths and solutions according to formulas. They make samples by dyeing textiles and calculating the necessary formulas and dyes all kind of yarn or and textiles.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H2406 | Conducteur / Conductrice de machines de traitement textile | Same scopeprovisional |
| H2417 | Conducteur / Conductrice de rame textile | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| H1240 | Agent / Agente de finissage couleurs et effets cuirs et peaux | Related, not a match |
| H1201 | Coloriste en industrie | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H2408 | Imprimeur / Imprimeuse textile | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H2424 | Chef / Cheffe de ligne chromo en industrie textile | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8154 | Operadores de máquinas de blanquear, teñir, estampar y acabar textiles | Same scope |
| 8155 | Operadores de máquinas para tratar pieles y cuero | Related, not a matchprovisional |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 28142 | Berufe in der Textilveredlung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 28101 | Berufe in der Textiltechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 28143 | Berufe in der Textilveredlung - 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 535 | 紡織・衣服・繊維製品製造従事者 | This occupation is narrower |
| 505 | 紡織・衣服・繊維製品生産設備制御・監視員 | 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