Help production workers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
U.S. Workers
167,490
Median Salary
$38,220
10-Year Growth
-8.9%
Annual Openings
23,600
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
34 of 34 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Count finished products to determine if product orders are complete.
AI: Fully automatable - Counting finished products is routinely and reliably automated with vision systems, barcode/RFID readers, and inventory software in 2025.
Load and unload items from machines, conveyors, and conveyances.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated pick‑and‑place systems, robotic loaders/unloaders and conveyor integrations routinely perform loading and unloading tasks in production environments.
Place products in equipment or on work surfaces for further processing, inspecting, or wrapping.
AI: Fully automatable - Robotic pick‑and‑place, vision guidance, and fixture systems are widely used to place products into equipment or onto work surfaces for downstream processing.
Measure amounts of products, lengths of extruded articles, or weights of filled containers to ensure conformance to specifications.
AI: Fully automatable - Sensors, automated gauges, scales, and machine-vision measurement systems can measure amounts, lengths, and weights to ensure spec conformance in typical production lines.
Separate products according to weight, grade, size, or composition of materials used to produce them.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated sorters using weight sensors, vision, and material analysis (e.g., NIR) can separate products by weight, size, grade, or composition in many industrial contexts.
Mark or tag identification on parts.
AI: Fully automatable - Labeling, inkjet/laser marking, and automatic tagging systems perform part identification consistently and are widely deployed by 2025.
Turn valves to regulate flow of liquids or air, to reverse machines, to start pumps, or to regulate equipment.
AI: Fully automatable - Actuated valves, PLCs, and remote control systems routinely automate valve turning and pump/machine control in modern industrial facilities.
Dump materials such as prepared ingredients into machine hoppers prior to mixing.
AI: Fully automatable - Feeders, conveyors, and robotic dumping systems can reliably deposit prepared ingredients into hoppers in many production environments, though highly irregular materials may still need oversight.
Start machines or equipment to begin production processes.
AI: Fully automatable - Starting machines and initiating production sequences are routine programmable actions that can be fully automated with control systems and safety interlocks.
Mix ingredients according to specified procedures or formulas.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated mixers with programmable controls and recipe management are standard for mixing ingredients to specified procedures in industrial settings.
Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions.
AI: Fully automatable - Sensor networks and AI for anomaly detection and predictive maintenance can observe equipment operations and reliably notify operators of many malfunctions.
Remove products, machine attachments, or waste material from machines.
AI: Fully automatable - Robotic arms and automated systems are commonly used to remove products, attachments, and waste from machines in automated production lines.
Tie products in bundles for further processing or shipment, following prescribed procedures.
AI: Fully automatable - Strapping, bundling, and robotic tying machines can follow prescribed procedures to bundle products for shipment and are commonly used by 2025.
Record information, such as the number of products tested, meter readings, or dates and times of product production.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated sensors, data-logging systems, and integrated software can fully capture counts, meter readings, and timestamps in production environments as of 2025.
Read gauges or charts, and record data obtained.
AI: Fully automatable - Computer vision combined with digital sensors and PLC integration can reliably read gauges or charts and record the data in industrial settings today.
Transfer finished products, raw materials, tools, or equipment between storage and work areas of plants and warehouses, by hand or using hand trucks or powered lift trucks.
AI: Fully automatable - Autonomous guided vehicles, robotic palletizers and automated material‑handling systems already transfer goods between storage and work areas in many plants and warehouses.
Signal coworkers to direct them to move products during the production process.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated signaling via lights, displays, audio alerts, or coordinated control systems can fully replace manual human signals to direct product movements in modern production lines.
Position spouts or chutes of storage bins so that containers can be filled.
AI: Fully automatable - Positioning spouts or chutes for filling is a relatively simple, repeatable act that can be fully automated with actuators, sensors, and control logic in most facilities.
Fold products and product parts during processing.
AI: Fully automatable - Robotic pick-and-place and folding systems with vision and specialized end-effectors can reliably fold consistent products and parts during processing in industrial settings.
Break up defective products for reprocessing.
AI: Fully automatable - Shredders, crushers and automated disassembly systems already break up defective items for reprocessing without human intervention in many recycling and manufacturing operations.
Thread ends of items such as thread, cloth, and lace through needles and rollers, and around take-up tubes.
AI: Fully automatable - Automatic threaders and machine-integrated threading mechanisms are mature in textiles and related manufacturing for threading through needles, rollers, and take-up tubes.
Cut or break flashing from materials or products.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated trimming, deburring, laser cutting and robotic finishing systems can consistently remove flashing from materials and products in production lines.
Operate machinery used in the production process, or assist machine operators.
AI: Partial - AI can assist and automate many machine operations and parameter adjustments but full, safe end‑to‑end operation across diverse machinery still often requires human oversight and intervention.
Examine products to verify conformance to quality standards.
AI: Partial - Machine vision and anomaly‑detection AI handle many visual quality inspections, but tasks requiring complex tactile, olfactory, or high‑context judgment remain only partially automatable.
Lift raw materials, finished products, and packed items, manually or using hoists.
AI: Partial - Powered hoists, conveyors and automated forklifts automate many lifting tasks, but variable, awkward or safety‑critical manual lifts still require human labor in many settings.
Unclamp and hoist full reels from braiding, winding, or other fabricating machines, using power hoists.
AI: Partial - Robotic hoisting and mechanized systems can handle standardized reel changes but variable fixtures, unexpected interactions, and dexterous unclamping still require human involvement in many real-world sites.
Clean and lubricate equipment.
AI: Partial - Selective cleaning and lubrication can be automated for repeatable, constrained tasks, but broad, irregular maintenance still requires human judgment and manual work.
Pack and store materials and products.
AI: Partial - Robotic pick-and-place and warehouse automation handle many packing/storage tasks but varied item shapes, ad-hoc packing decisions, and complex small-scale operations still often require human intervention as of 2025.
Perform minor repairs to machines, such as replacing damaged or worn parts.
AI: Partial - Some minor repairs can be aided or performed by automated diagnostics and specialized robots, but general-purpose part replacement and troubleshooting remain largely human-led.
Prepare raw materials for processing.
AI: Partial - Preparation of raw materials can be automated for standardized, repetitive steps (feeding, dosing, sorting), but variable preparation tasks still need human oversight and intervention.
Change machine gears, using wrenches.
AI: Partial - Automated tools and cobots can change gears in constrained, designed-for-automation contexts, but widespread, unstructured gear changes with wrenches still depend on human technicians.
Help production workers by performing duties of lesser skill, such as supplying or holding materials or tools, or cleaning work areas and equipment.
AI: Partial - Collaborative robots and automation can supply/hold materials and clean in structured settings, but the full range of ad hoc assistance and flexible judgment remains only partially automatable in most workplaces by 2025.
Attach slings, ropes, or cables to objects such as pipes, hoses, or bundles.
AI: Partial - Robotic rigging solutions exist for repetitive, well-defined attachments, but flexible, unpredictable sling/rope work in varied environments typically requires human dexterity and judgment.
Wash work areas, machines, equipment, vehicles, or products.
AI: Partial - Robotic cleaning systems and automated wash stations can handle routine, structured cleaning but cannot yet cover the full variety of ad-hoc, complex cleaning tasks across production environments.