# Will press operators be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Press operators score 18 of 100 for AI exposure. 76% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 6% today and speed up another 18%. - **6%** AI can do it - **18%** AI helps - **76%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 84% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 31 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 26 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances. AI reads documents and extracts specs; a person verifies. | 65% AI can do it | | Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials. AI can draft operation sequences from material data; expert verifies. | 50% AI helps | | Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data. Sensors and software log data; a person still starts machines. | 40% AI helps | | Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations. Controllers and software can suggest parameters; operator sets them. | 35% AI helps | | Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws. Camera Vision can flag flaws, but physical sorting stays manual. | 30% AI helps | ## How press operators compare All occupations (923) Production (107) **Press operators score 18**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 22 for production. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $46,330 a year, May 2025 People employed 171,200 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs \-10.5% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Verify extracted specs against AutoCAD drawings - Check drafted operation sequences against material data - Set and log parameters in CNC software - Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks - Run Striker Systems SS-Punch setups and changeovers - Adjust speeds and actions with gauges and hand tools ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Woodworking machine operators16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/woodworking-machine-operators/) - [Forging machine operators16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/forging-machine-operators/) - [Hand polishers17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/hand-polishers/) - [Tool grinders17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/tool-grinders/) - [Paper goods machine operators16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/paper-goods-machine-operators/) ## Questions about press operators and AI Will AI replace press operators? Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours for a press operator go to tasks AI can already do, mostly reading work orders and planning operation sequences. What stays with people is the physical work at the machine, from starting it to handling heavy sheets and metal. Which press operator tasks is AI taking over? Reading work orders and production schedules scores 65 on exposure, because AI can pull materials, cut line locations, and tolerances from documents for the operator to verify. Drafting operation sequences from material data scores 50, since software proposes the steps an expert then checks. Logging machine data scores 40 because sensors and software record it automatically. Which press operator tasks stay human? Honing cutters with oilstones, placing sheets on cutting tables manually or crane, and cleaning and lubricating machines each score 5 on exposure, because they need hands on steel and a person at the machine. Adjusting speeds and actions by feel with gauges and hand tools scores 20, since the work depends on touch and physical control. How can press operators stay valuable? Stay valuable by keeping the checking and hands-on work that software leaves behind. Check specs pulled from work orders against AutoCAD drawings, verify drafted operation sequences against material data, and set CNC parameters by gauge readings. Keep hands-on skills like honing cutters and crane handling sharp, since those score 5 on exposure. ## Related jobs - [Grinding machine operators21 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/grinding-machine-operators/) - [Machine tool operators24 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/machine-tool-operators/) - [Toolmakers29 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/toolmakers/) - [Forming press operators26 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/forming-press-operators/) ## Next steps for press operators - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.