Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

58 shared · 4 different

core competencies

medium risk

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Side-by-Side Comparison

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic leads 3–1

Metric	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Risk Score	34.6%	38.5%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	64th	77th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	8 / 15	8 / 15
Median Salary	$45,590	$48,970
Employment	174K	6K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Controlling Machines and Processes

MathematicsAI-Vulnerable

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

24%

total discount

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

27%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

8 of 15 at risk

86%Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.

84%Mark identifying data on workpieces.

67%Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.

65%Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.

53%Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

8 of 15 at risk

84%Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.

78%Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.

76%Inspect dies to detect defects, assess wear, and verify specifications, using micrometers, steel gauge pins, and loupes.

61%Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.

59%Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.

Wage Comparison

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners earns +$3,380(+7%) vs Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticTool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

10th

$35,000$33,770

25th

$38,400$39,520

Median

$45,590$48,970

75th

$52,150$60,210

90th

$62,650$74,120

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic2028–2035

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$29,811

from $45,590

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

$30,097

from $48,970

After adjusting for AI risk, Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners offers $286 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Cutting,

Unique to Tool

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation

Regulatory Barriers

Social Intelligence

Creativity

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticTool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Find transitions from Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Find transitions from Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners