Will “Operator” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

61% Chance of Automation

“Operator” will maybe be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #342 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

Care to share? Click for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or XING. 👍

Job Description

Set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies. Includes workers who operate laser cutters or laser-beam machines.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 51-4122.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 38,380.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 18.00
Currently, there are 46,920 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Operator”

Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.
Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.
Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.
Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.
Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.
Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.
Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.
Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.
Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing and make necessary adjustments to equipment.
Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.
Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.
Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.
Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.
Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.
Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.
Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.
Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.
Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.
Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
Record operational information on specified production reports.
Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.
Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements as necessary.
Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.
Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.

Related Technology & Tools

Face masks
Bench vises
Portable welding machines
Soldering machines
Resistance welding machines
Undercut gauges
Welding tip dressers
Hand clamps
Tungsten inert gas TIG welding equipment
Welding tip cleaning files
Spot welding guns
Walk-behind lift trucks
Vernier micrometers
Micrometers
Product loading equipment
Fillet weld gauges
Welding helmets
Welding robots
Resistance welding guns
Rulers
Slip joint pliers
Computerized numerical control CNC oxy-fuel systems
Cold-welding machines
Power grinders
Desktop computers
Wire brushes
Workpiece positioning jigs
Vise grip pliers
Measuring tapes
Hydraulic winches
Center punches
Outside micrometer calipers
Hydraulic booms
Safety gloves
C clamps
Adjustable widemouth pliers
Welding electrodes
Safety goggles
Hand scrapers
Chipping hammers
Arc welding equipment
Diffusion-welding machines
Claw hammers
Welding torch tips
Gas welding torches
Tongs
Side cutting pliers
Layout squares
Magnifiers
Heating furnaces
Dial calipers
Soldering robots
Power hoists
Single-cut mill saw files
Brazing robots
Laser-beam machines
Ball peen hammers
Laser cutters
Brazing machines

Email software
Microsoft Office
Data entry software
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software
Microsoft Word
Tool center point TCP setting software