As of June 2026, Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic has an AI-exposure score of 44/100 (Moderate exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
More exposed than 19% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$63,870. About 500 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Production roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (64%).
- Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules.
- Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators.
- Add dimensional details to blueprints or drawings made by other workers.
- Lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists, and using parallel blocks and angle plates.
- Compute layout dimensions, and determine and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding and assembly.
- Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.
- Brace parts in position within hulls or ships for riveting or welding.
- Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled.
- Lay out and fabricate metal structural parts such as plates, bulkheads, and frames.
- Apply pigment to layout surfaces, using paint brushes.
- Inspect machined parts to verify conformance to specifications.
- Install doors, hatches, brackets, and clips.
- Design and prepare templates of wood, paper, or metal.
- Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of metals.
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
Grounded in O*NET + the Anthropic Economic Index + BLS — personalized to your role.
Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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