Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-6063.00
Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles.
- 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
0.032
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
0.16
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 19 hidden tasks20 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (20.0%)
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
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is 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
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Program electronic equipment.51-6063.00 | 0.0487100.0 | 0.0394100.0 |
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 |
|---|---|
Record information about work completed and machine settings.O*NET Task ID 14172 | 1.0 |
Program electronic equipment.O*NET Task ID 14178 | 1.0 |
Study guides, loom patterns, samples, charts, or specification sheets, or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine setup requirements.O*NET Task ID 14179 | 1.0 |
Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects.O*NET Task ID 14165 | 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 (19)
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 |
|---|---|
| Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling. | Core |
| Inspect products to ensure that specifications are met and to determine if machines need adjustment. | Core |
| Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects. | Core |
| Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing. | Core |
| Examine looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks, or mechanical defects. | Core |
| Notify supervisors or repair staff of mechanical malfunctions. | Core |
| Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed. | Core |
| Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed. | Core |
| Confer with co-workers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems. | Core |
| Stop machines when specified amounts of product have been produced. | Core |
| Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples. | Core |
| Set up, or set up and operate textile machines that perform textile processing and manufacturing operations such as winding, twisting, knitting, weaving, bonding, or stretching. | Supplemental |
| Record information about work completed and machine settings. | Supplemental |
| Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oil cans, or grease guns. | Supplemental |
| Program electronic equipment. | Supplemental |
| Study guides, loom patterns, samples, charts, or specification sheets, or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine setup requirements. | Supplemental |
| Repair or replace worn or defective needles and other components, using hand tools. | Supplemental |
| Install, level, and align machine components such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles to set up machinery for operation. | Supplemental |
| Adjust machine heating mechanisms, tensions, and speeds to produce specified products. | Supplemental |
1.18/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Inspect products to ensure that specifications are met and to determine if machines need adjustment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects. | E2 structured facilities |
| Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Examine looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks, or mechanical defects. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed. | E2 structured facilities |
| Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Stop machines when specified amounts of product have been produced. | E2 structured facilities |
| Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up, or set up and operate textile machines that perform textile processing and manufacturing operations such as winding, twisting, knitting, weaving, bonding, or stretching. | E0 none |
| Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oil cans, or grease guns. | E2 structured facilities |
| Repair or replace worn or defective needles and other components, using hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install, level, and align machine components such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles to set up machinery for operation. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Adjust machine heating mechanisms, tensions, and speeds to produce specified products. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 14K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 12K
- Change (2025–35)
- -13.7%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $39,530
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82211 | 제직기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 82212 | 편직기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 82219 | 그 외 직조기 및 편직기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 82299 | 그 외 직물·신발 관련 기계 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 8152Weaving and Knitting 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.
- carpet weaverESCO 7318.2This occupation is broader
Carpet weavers operate machinery to create textile floor coverings. They create carpets and rugs from wool or synthetic textiles using specialised equipment. Carpet weavers can use diverse methods such as weaving, knotting or tufting to create carpets of different styles.
- knitting machine operatorESCO 8152.1This occupation is broader
Knitting machine operators set up, operate and monitor knitting machines. They work with specialised machinery, techniques and materials to process threads of yarn into knitted products such as clothing, carpets or rope. They maintain and repair knitting machinery and ensure operations run without problems.
- knitting textile technicianESCO 8152.1.2This occupation is broader
Knitting textile technicians perform operations related to setting up knitting processes. They may work in weft or warp knitting factories, using digital information technology (CAD) for patterning. They work in cooperation with the physical laboratory technicians in order to ensure error free knitted fabrics. They are responsible for highest productivity rates.
- tufting operatorESCO 8152.3.1This occupation is broader
Tufting operators supervise the tufting process of a group of machines, monitoring fabric quality and tufting conditions. They inspect tufting machines after set up, start up, and during production to ensure the product being tufted meets specs and quality standards.
- weaving machine operatorESCO 8152.3This occupation is broader
Weaving machine operators set up, operate and monitor weaving machines .They work with specialised machinery, techniques and materials to process threads of yarn into weaved products such as clothing, home-tex or technical end products. They maintain and repair weaving machinery and ensure operations run without problems.
- weaving machine supervisorESCO 8152.3.2This occupation is broader
Weaving machine supervisors monitor the weaving process. They operate the weaving process at automated machines (from silk to carpet, from flat to Jacquard). They monitor fabric quality and condition of mechanical machines such as woven fabrics for clothing, home-tex or technical end uses. They carry out maintenance works on machines that convert yarns into fabrics such as blankets, carpets, towels and clothing material. They repair loom malfunctions as reported by the weaver, and complete loom check out sheets.
- weaving textile technicianESCO 8152.3.3This occupation is broader
Weaving textile technicians perform operations related to setting up weaving processes.
- knitterESCO 7318.4Overlapping, not the same
Knitters create textiles or fabric by knitting pieces of yarn. They use traditional techniques to create interlocking loops of yarn which form a uniform piece of fabric. Knitters use different techniques, needles and yarn materials to create knitted materials of diverse proportions.
- knitting machine supervisorESCO 8152.1.1Overlapping, not the same
Knitter supervisors supervise the knitting process of a group of machines, monitoring fabric quality and knitting conditions. They inspect knitting machines after set up, start up and during production to ensure that the product being knit meets specifications and quality standards.
- weaverESCO 7318.6Overlapping, not the same
Weavers operate the weaving process at traditional hand powered weaving machines (from silk to carpet, from flat to Jacquard). They monitor fabric quality and condition of machines such as woven fabrics for clothing, home-tex or technical end uses. They carry out mechanic works on machines that convert yarns into fabrics such as blankets, carpets, towels and clothing material. They repair loom malfunctions as reported by the weaver, and complete loom check out sheets.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H2403 | Conducteur / Conductrice de machines de fabrication de produits textiles | Same scope |
| H2413 | Noueur / Noueuse de chaîne de tissage | This occupation is broader |
| H2419 | Passementier / Passementière | This occupation is broader |
| H2425 | Fileur / Fileuse 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8152 | Operadores de telares y otras máquinas tejedoras | Same scope |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 28122 | Berufe in der Textilherstellung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 28102 | Berufe in der Textiltechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| 28101 | Berufe in der Textiltechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 505 | 紡織・衣服・繊維製品生産設備制御・監視員 | Overlapping, not the same |
| 535 | 紡織・衣服・繊維製品製造従事者 | 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