Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-9012.00
Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators.
- 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
0.22–0.24· 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 7513Dairy Products Makers0.22
- ISCO-08 8131Chemical Products Plant and Machine Operators0.24
Task-level exposure
Show 20 hidden tasks21 rated tasks · 3 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (14.3%)
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) | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.51-9012.00 | 0.0024100.0 |
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 |
|---|---|
Communicate processing instructions to other workers.O*NET Task ID 12368 | 1.0 |
Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.O*NET Task ID 20827 | 1.0 |
Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture.O*NET Task ID 20825 | 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 (20)
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 |
|---|---|
| Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure. | Core |
| Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions. | Core |
| Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis. | Core |
| Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers. | Core |
| Measure or weigh materials to be refined, mixed, transferred, stored, or otherwise processed. | Core |
| Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions. | Core |
| Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks. | Core |
| Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage. | Core |
| Connect pipes between vats and processing equipment. | Core |
| Communicate processing instructions to other workers. | Core |
| Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment. | Core |
| Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools. | Core |
| Turn valves to pump sterilizing solutions or rinse water through pipes or equipment or to spray vats with atomizers. | Core |
| Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations. | Core |
| Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials. | Core |
| Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture. | Core |
| Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines. | Core |
| Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases. | Core |
| Assemble fittings, valves, bowls, plates, disks, impeller shafts, or other parts to prepare equipment for operation. | Core |
| Remove full containers from discharge outlets and replace them with empty containers. | Supplemental |
0.94/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure. | E2 structured facilities |
| Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions. | E2 structured facilities |
| Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks. | E2 structured facilities |
| Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Turn valves to pump sterilizing solutions or rinse water through pipes or equipment or to spray vats with atomizers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines. | E2 structured facilities |
| Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure or weigh materials to be refined, mixed, transferred, stored, or otherwise processed. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Connect pipes between vats and processing equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools. | E0 none |
| Remove full containers from discharge outlets and replace them with empty containers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assemble fittings, valves, bowls, plates, disks, impeller shafts, or other parts to prepare equipment for operation. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 61K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 58K
- Change (2025–35)
- -5.7%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $51,610
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81201 | 알코올성 음료 제조기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83123 | 화학물 여과기 및 분리기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83124 | 화학물 증류기 및 반응기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 81133 | 낙농품가공 기계 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 81901 | 유지 제조기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 81903 | 설탕 제조 관련 기계 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 89121 | 펄프 제조 장치 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 89122 | 종이 제조 장치 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 81202 | 비알코올성 음료 제조기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 81209 | 그 외 음료 제조 관련 기계 조작원 | Related, not a match | reviewed |
| 81902 | 조미 식품 생산기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 83113 | 폐유 및 재생유 처리 장치 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 83212 | 화장품 생산기 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 7513Dairy Products Makers
- ISCO-08 8131Chemical Products Plant and 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.
- beverage filtration technicianESCO 8160.3This occupation is broader
Beverage filtration technicians operate machines that clarify beverages prior to filtering. For the purpose, they transfer fermented beverages from settling casks into clarifying tanks and spreads chemicals over the surface of beverages to aid their clarification. Then, they pump beverages to transfer them to filtering tanks.
- cellar operatorESCO 8160.13This occupation is broader
Fermentation cellar operators take charge of fermentation and maturation tanks. They control fermentation process of wort inoculated with yeast. They tend equipment that cools and adds yeast to wort as to produce beer. For the purpose, they control the flow of refrigeration that goes through cool coils regulating the temperature of hot wort in the tanks.
- centrifuge operatorESCO 8160.14This occupation is broader
Centrifuge operators tend centrifugal machines that separate impurities from food materials aimed to be further processed as to achieve finished foodstuffs.
- cider fermentation operatorESCO 8160.17This occupation is broader
Cider fermentation operators control the fermentation process of mash or wort inoculated with yeast.
- clarifierESCO 8160.19This occupation is broader
Clarifiers operate equipment to remove sediments and moisture from oleo and oils. They heat clarifying tank with steam and strainers for the clarification process. They remove foreign matters from the surface of hot oleo or oil stacks using skimmers.
- dairy processing operatorESCO 8160.24This occupation is broader
Dairy processing operators set up and operate continuous flow or vat-type equipment to process milk, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products following specific instructions, methods and formulas.
- dairy products manufacturing workerESCO 8160.25This occupation is broader
Dairy products manufacturing workers set up, operate and tend equipment to process milk, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products.
- digester operatorESCO 8171.2This occupation is broader
Digester operators, or cooks, cook wood chips with soda ash or acid to separate the wood pulp from unwanted constituents. They test the resulting solution.
- distillation operatorESCO 8131.5This occupation is broader
Distillation operators run and oversee the oil distillation process and assist with troubleshooting. They operate distillation equipment to separate intermediate products or impurities from oil. They turn control valves and gauges to attain temperatures, material flow rate, pressure, etc.
- fermenter operatorESCO 8131.7This occupation is broader
Fermenter operators control and maintain the equipment and tanks for the production of active and functional ingredients for pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics or vitamins. They also work in the production of cosmetics or personal care products.
- germination operatorESCO 8160.37This occupation is broader
Germination operators tend steeping and germination vessels where barley is germinated to produce malt.
- hydrogenation machine operatorESCO 8160.39This occupation is broader
Hydrogenation machine operators control equipment to process base oils for manufacture of margarine and shortening products.
+7 more
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 |
|---|---|---|
| A1443 | Cidrier / Cidrière | This occupation is broader |
| H3103 | Opérateur / Opératrice de production de pâte à papier | This occupation is broader |
| A1413 | Brasseur / Brasseuse de bière | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| A1422 | Caviste de chai | Related, not a match |
| A1446 | Maître / Maîtresse de chai | Related, not a match |
| H2102 | Conducteur / Conductrice de machines en industrie alimentaire | Related, not a match |
| H3102 | Conducteur / Conductrice d'installation de pâte à papier | Related, not a match |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 7706 | Trabajadores de la elaboración de bebidas alcohólicas distintas del vino | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 7707 | Trabajadores de la elaboración del vino | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 8131 | Operadores en plantas industriales químicas | Related, not a match |
| 8145 | Operadores en instalaciones para la preparación de pasta de papel y fabricación de papel | Related, not a match |
| 8160 | Operadores de máquinas para elaborar productos alimenticios, bebidas y tabaco | Related, not a match |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 29112 | Brauer/innen und Mälzer/innen - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 29122 | Weinküfer/innen - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 29132 | Brenner/innen und Destillateure/Destillateurinnen - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 29202 | Berufe in der Lebensmittelherstellung (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 41312 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 23112 | Berufe in der Papierherstellung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29123 | Weinküfer/innen - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29133 | Brenner/innen und Destillateure/Destillateurinnen - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29142 | Berufe in der Fruchtsafttechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 501 | 化学製品生産設備制御・監視員 | Related, not a match |
| 503 | 食料品生産設備制御・監視員 | Related, not a match |
| 534 | 飲料・たばこ製造従事者 | 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