O*NET-SOC 51-7042.00 / model V11 rated-task engine

Will AI replace
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?

Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.

Estimated AI task exposure

Low exposure

V11 weights occupation tasks using O*NET Importance, Relevance and Frequency ratings instead of treating every task equally.

25 tasks have usable Task Rating records; weighted-task coverage is 100%.

Digital/info work

22/100

Physical moat

75/100

Human moat

8/100

Rating coverage

100%

25 task statements / 25 rated

Highest-weighted occupation tasks

Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.

Importance 84/100Relevance 97/100Frequency 82/100Weight 0.89

Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.

Importance 84/100Relevance 87/100Frequency 79/100Weight 0.84

Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.

Importance 84/100Relevance 89/100Frequency 76/100Weight 0.84

Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.

Importance 84/100Relevance 89/100Frequency 75/100Weight 0.84

Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.

Importance 83/100Relevance 87/100Frequency 80/100Weight 0.84

Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.

Importance 81/100Relevance 88/100Frequency 77/100Weight 0.83

Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.

Importance 82/100Relevance 85/100Frequency 75/100Weight 0.82

Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.

Importance 81/100Relevance 87/100Frequency 74/100Weight 0.81

Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.

Importance 76/100Relevance 95/100Frequency 66/100Weight 0.81

Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation.

Importance 78/100Relevance 85/100Frequency 78/100Weight 0.81

Task weighting

Each rated task receives a composite weight: 38% relevance, 37% importance and 25% frequency. Core tasks receive a small additional multiplier. Low-precision rows flagged by O*NET for suppression are excluded.

Occupation scoring

When rating coverage is strong, rated tasks contribute 60% of the digital, physical and human task signals and Work Activities contribute 40%. Lower-coverage occupations automatically rely more on Work Activities.

U.S. labor market

BLS Wage & Employment Outlook

Median annual wage

$43,380

BLS OEWS May 2025

National employment

61,420

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

-2.5%

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Average annual openings

5

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

BLS labor-market figures are separate from the site's AI-exposure model. Missing values mean a compatible detailed BLS occupation estimate was not published or could not be mapped.

Career pivot radar

Safer Career Alternatives

These options are selected from the same 923-occupation model. They favor a similar task/work profile with meaningfully lower estimated AI exposure. They are suggestions for exploration, not guarantees of job fit.

SAFER ALTERNATIVE