Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-9032.00
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
- 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
0.23
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 26 hidden tasks28 rated tasks · 2 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (7.1%)
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 |
|---|---|
Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.O*NET Task ID 12424 | 1.0 |
Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.O*NET Task ID 12419 | 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®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (28)
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 |
|---|---|
| Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. | Core |
| Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material. | Core |
| Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material. | Core |
| Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines. | Core |
| Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives. | Core |
| Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards. | Core |
| Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines. | Core |
| Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure. | Core |
| Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced. | Core |
| Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment. | Core |
| Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments. | Core |
| Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing. | Core |
| Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools. | Core |
| Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks. | Core |
| Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans. | Core |
| Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels. | Core |
| Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines. | Core |
| Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools. | Core |
| Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes. | Core |
| Operate cranes, or signal crane operators to position or remove stone from cars or saw beds. | Supplemental |
| Start pumps to circulate water and abrasives onto blades or cables during cutting. | Supplemental |
| Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames. | Supplemental |
| Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames. | Supplemental |
| Direct workers on cutting teams. | Supplemental |
| Tighten pulleys or add abrasives to maintain cutting speeds. | Supplemental |
| Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels. | Supplemental |
| Sharpen cutting blades, knives, or saws, using files, bench grinders, or honing stones. | Supplemental |
| Wash stones, using water hoses. | 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 |
|---|---|
| Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure. | E2 structured facilities |
| Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments. | E2 structured facilities |
| Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools. | E0 none |
| Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks. | E2 structured facilities |
| Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Tighten pulleys or add abrasives to maintain cutting speeds. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Sharpen cutting blades, knives, or saws, using files, bench grinders, or honing stones. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 46K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 46K
- Change (2025–35)
- -0.9%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $46,570
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84342 | 석제품 가공기 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 89909 | 그 외 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
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.
- automated cutting machine operatorESCO 8156.1This occupation is broader
Automated cutting machine operators send files from the computer to the cutting machine, place the material to be cut, and they digitize and select the fault in the materials surface in order to perform the nesting of the parts, unless the machine makes it automatically. They give the order to the machine to cut, they also collect the cut pieces and does the final quality control analysis against specifications and quality requirements. They also monitor the status of the cutting machine working devices.
- cutting machine operatorESCO 8156.2.1This occupation is broader
Cutting machine operators check leather, textiles, synthetic materials, dyes and footwear. They select areas of materials to be cut in terms of quality and stretch direction, take the decision of where and how to cut and programme and execute specific technology or machine. The equipment used for large surfaces of materials is frequently an automatic knife. Cutting machine operators position and handle leather or other materials. They adjust cutting machines, match footwear components and pieces, and check cut pieces against specifications and quality requirements.
- paper cutter operatorESCO 8143.6This occupation is broader
Paper cutter operators tend a machine that cuts paper to the desired size and shape. Paper cutters may also cut and perforate other materials that come in sheets, such as metal foil.
- rubber cutting machine tenderESCO 8141.1.4This occupation is broader
Rubber cutting machine tenders operate the machine that cuts rubber stock into slabs. They take the slab of the conveyor and put it on a pallet, spraying a chemical solution on each slab to prevent sticking.
- veneer slicer operatorESCO 8172.5.4This occupation is broader
Veneer slicer operators slice lumber into thin sheets to be used as a cover for other materials, such as particle board or fibre board. Veneer slicers may use various machines to obtain different cuts of wood: a rotary lathe to produce cuts peripendicular to the growth rings, a slicing machine to create plank-like cuts, or a half-round lathe which gives the operator the freedom to make a selection of the most interesting cuts.
- water jet cutter operatorESCO 7223.4.8This occupation is broader
Water jet cutter operators set up and operate a water jet cutter, designed to cut excess material from a metal workpiece by using a high-pressure jet of water, or an abrasive substance mixed with water.
- slitter operatorESCO 8189.2Overlapping, not the same
Slitter operators set up, operate, or tend machines, in order to cut, slit, bend, or straighten sheets of metal, paper, or other materials to specific widths. Slitter operators must also ensure quality, by examining various end-products and observing pre-defined tolerances.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| E1302 | Conducteur / Conductrice de machines de façonnage routage | Related, not a match |
| H2811 | Plieur / Plieuse de verre plat | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8114 | Operadores de maquinaria para fabricar productos derivados de minerales no metálicos | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 8141 | Operadores de máquinas para fabricar productos de caucho y derivados de resinas naturales | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 8143 | Operadores de máquinas para fabricar productos de papel y cartón | Related, not a match |
| 8144 | Operadores de serrerías, de máquinas de fabricación de tableros y de instalaciones afines para el tratamiento de la madera y el corcho | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 23122 | Berufe in der Papierverarbeitung und Verpackungstechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 29272 | Berufe in der Tabakwarenherstellung - 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 532 | 窯業・土石製品製造従事者 | 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 |
| 536 | 木・紙製品製造従事者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
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