Will press operators be replaced by AI?
Updated
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 |
| Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools. Adjusting speeds and actions by feel and hand tools is physical. | 20% Needs a person |
| Mark identifying data on workpieces. Marking parts is a quick physical task with limited AI help. | 20% Needs a person |
| Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers. Needs physical gauges and calipers on the part. | 15% Needs a person |
| Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material. Core hands-on machine operation needs a person physically present. | 15% Needs a person |
| Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications. Scribing lines is physical work, while layouts may come from CAD. | 15% Needs a person |
Show the other 21 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools. Hand adjustment of ram stroke is physical; controllers help little. | 12% Needs a person |
| Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes. Physical stop setting and die changes on machine beds. | 10% Needs a person |
| Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors. Selecting and mounting spacers and cutters is hands-on work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines. Physically moving materials into machines is manual work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools. Physical installation and alignment of tooling in machines. | 8% Needs a person |
| Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies. Physically positioning and clamping heavy workpieces on machines. | 8% Needs a person |
| Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices. Hand positioning of guides and fixtures needs physical presence. | 8% Needs a person |
| Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs. Turning valves on coolant or air is a simple physical act. | 8% Needs a person |
| Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings. Removing housings and tool holders is hands-on mechanical work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches. Blade adjustment with wrenches is hands-on mechanical work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches. Furnace and torch preheating is physical; controls may be automated. | 8% Needs a person |
| Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools. Blade swaps with hand tools need a person on site. | 6% Needs a person |
| Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes. Sharpening blades on grinders is physical, skilled work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks. Grinding burrs with portable tools is physical skilled work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Use equipment designed to join sheet metal, such as spot welders. Spot welding sheet metal is physical work needing a person. | 6% Needs a person |
| Clean work area. Physical cleaning of the work area. | 5% Needs a person |
| Lubricate workpieces with oil. Hand oiling workpieces is a physical task. | 5% Needs a person |
| Clean and lubricate machines. Physical cleaning and oiling of machine parts. | 5% Needs a person |
| Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges. Manual or crane lifting of heavy sheets is physical. | 5% Needs a person |
| Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks. Honing cutters is a skilled physical task done with hands. | 5% Needs a person |
| Operate forklifts to deliver materials. Forklift driving is physical work; AI adds little. | 5% Needs a person |
How press operators compare
All occupations (923)
Production (107)
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.
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.
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