Also called: Robot Operator, Automation Operator
Runs and watches over a group of robots and machines, loading material, clearing small jams and keeping the cell producing.
You start the shift by checking that the welding robots have wire and gas, then hit cycle start. While they work, you inspect finished parts, log counts on a touchscreen and reset the cell when a sensor trips. Good operators get trained up to programming.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma plus on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Manufacturing Technology (certificate).
Growing about average. Replaces some manual jobs; numbers vary by region.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Smarter cells need fewer operators per robot, with lights-out runs growing; tending, jam-clearing and checks remain for now.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at factories with robot lines or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Manufacturing CTE, Algebra, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9199.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.