Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-9023.00
Set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
- 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
0.17–0.23· 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 8114Cement, Stone and Other Mineral Products Machine Operators0.23
- ISCO-08 8181Glass and Ceramics Plant Operators0.17
Task-level exposure
Show 17 hidden tasks19 rated tasks · 2 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
- 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
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 operational or production data on specified forms.O*NET Task ID 12407 | 1.0 |
Read work orders to determine production specifications or information.O*NET Task ID 12410 | 1.0 |
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 (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 |
|---|---|
| Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements. | Core |
| Operate or tend machines to mix or blend any of a wide variety of materials, such as spices, dough batter, tobacco, fruit juices, chemicals, livestock feed, food products, color pigments, or explosive ingredients. | Core |
| Dump or pour specified amounts of materials into machinery or equipment. | Core |
| Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation. | Core |
| Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures. | Core |
| Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory testing. | Core |
| Add or mix chemicals or ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices. | Core |
| Examine materials, ingredients, or products visually or with hands to ensure conformance to established standards. | Core |
| Record operational or production data on specified forms. | Core |
| Transfer materials, supplies, or products between work areas, using moving equipment or hand tools. | Core |
| Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps or conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes. | Core |
| Read work orders to determine production specifications or information. | Core |
| Compound or process ingredients or dyes, according to formulas. | Core |
| Unload mixtures into containers or onto conveyors for further processing. | Core |
| Clean and maintain equipment, using hand tools. | Core |
| Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery or equipment, using hand tools. | Core |
| Mix or blend ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times. | Core |
| Clean work areas. | Core |
| Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment. | Supplemental |
| Open valves to drain slurry from mixers into storage tanks. | Supplemental |
1.07/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products to ensure conformance to requirements. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate or tend machines to mix or blend any of a wide variety of materials, such as spices, dough batter, tobacco, fruit juices, chemicals, livestock feed, food products, color pigments, or explosive ingredients. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Dump or pour specified amounts of materials into machinery or equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Observe production or monitor equipment to ensure safe and efficient operation. | E2 structured facilities |
| Stop mixing or blending machines when specified product qualities are obtained and open valves and start pumps to transfer mixtures. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory testing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Add or mix chemicals or ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Examine materials, ingredients, or products visually or with hands to ensure conformance to established standards. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Transfer materials, supplies, or products between work areas, using moving equipment or hand tools. | E2 structured facilities |
| Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps or conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Compound or process ingredients or dyes, according to formulas. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Unload mixtures into containers or onto conveyors for further processing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean and maintain equipment, using hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery or equipment, using hand tools. | E0 none |
| Mix or blend ingredients by starting machines and mixing for specified times. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean work areas. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Open valves to drain slurry from mixers into storage tanks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 97K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 91K
- Change (2025–35)
- -6.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $48,990
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82122 | 염색 조색 및 배합기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83213 | 세제 생산기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 84392 | 광택제 생산기 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 83121 | 화학물 분쇄기·마쇄기 및 혼합기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 83211 | 약제품 생산기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 83212 | 화장품 생산기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 84391 | 유약 생산기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 84319 | 그 외 유리 제조 및 가공기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 84399 | 그 외 비금속제품 관련 생산기 조작원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 86311 | 일차전지 제조 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 8114Cement, Stone and Other Mineral Products Machine Operators
- ISCO-08 8181Glass and Ceramics Plant 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.
- blender operatorESCO 8160.5This occupation is broader
Blender operators produce non-alcoholic flavoured waters by managing the administration of a large selection of ingredients to water. They handle and administer ingredients such as sugar, fruits juices, vegetable juices, syrups based on fruit or herbs, natural flavours, synthetic food additives like artificial sweeteners, colours, preservatives, acidity regulators, vitamins, minerals, and carbon dioxide. They manage the quantities depending on the product.
- blending plant operatorESCO 8160.6This occupation is broader
Blending plant operators control equipment to weigh and mix vegetable oils used in products such as salad oil and margarines. They tend pump oils to perform the blending according to specific formulas. They draw off samples of mixed oil to examine its texture and colour and based on that make adjustments to blending processes.
- carbonation operatorESCO 8160.12This occupation is broader
Carbonation operators perform the injection of carbonation into beverages.
- chemical mixerESCO 8131.2This occupation is broader
Chemical mixers operate and maintain mixing tanks and blenders in order to develop chemical products out of raw materials, making sure the end products are in conformance to the batch tickets specifications.
- colour sampling operatorESCO 8155.1.1This occupation is broader
Colour sampling operators apply colours and finish mixes according to the defined recipes. They apply pigments, dyes or other finishing mixes.
- extract mixer testerESCO 8160.29This occupation is broader
Extract mixer testers sift spices using mechanical sifters. They operate mixing machines to blend spices and weigh them until a specified consistency is reached. They compare colours of mixtures with the standard colour chart to ensure that colours of the mixture meet the specifications.
- fertiliser mixerESCO 8131.2.1This occupation is broader
Fertiliser mixers operate and maintain machines that mix chemical ingredients in order to produce fertilisers, making sure the end product is according to specifications.
- kettle tenderESCO 8160.40This occupation is broader
Kettle tenders operate machines that mix chewing gum base with sugar or sweetener. They follow procedures to place gum base in containers and then direct it to flow into mixers.
- lacquer makerESCO 8131.2.2This occupation is broader
Lacquer makers operate and maintain laquers and syntetic paints mixers and jar mills, making sure the end product is according to formula.
- nitroglycerin neutraliserESCO 8131.13This occupation is broader
Nitroglycerin neutralisers maintain explosives mixing tanks by neutralizing the process remaining acids.
- paint mixerESCO 8131.2.3This occupation is broader
Paint mixers operate and maintain machines that mix lacquers, solvents and paints in order to produce paint, making sure the end product is according to the specified formula.
- perfume production machine operatorESCO 8131.16This occupation is broader
Perfume production machine operators tend machinery for the manufacturing of perfumes by setting up the machines and tools, cleaning and maintaining the equipment and abiding by the production schedule.
+3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| H2804 | Pilote de centrale de béton | This occupation is broader |
| H3309 | Préparateur / Préparatrice de mélange en industrie | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| H3303 | Cuisinier / Cuisinière en industrie chimique | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| H2810 | Agent / Agente technique de centrale à enrobés | Related, not a match |
| H1201 | Coloriste en industrie | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H2105 | Agent / Agente de production en industrie alimentaire | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H2303 | Opérateur / Opératrice de fabrication en industrie pharmaceutique | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8131 | Operadores en plantas industriales químicas | Related, not a match |
| 8132 | Operadores de máquinas para fabricar productos farmacéuticos, cosméticos y afines | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 21222 | Berufe in der Baustoffherstellung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 22102 | Berufe in der Kunststoff- und Kautschukherstellung (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 29272 | Berufe in der Tabakwarenherstellung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 41312 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 531 | 化学製品製造従事者 | Related, not a match |
| 533 | 食料品製造従事者 | Related, not a match |
| 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