Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
Also called: Assembler, Assembly Line Worker, Engine Assembler, Machine AssemblerConstruct, assemble, or rebuild machines, such as engines, turbines, and similar equipment used in such industries as construction, extraction, textiles, and paper manufacturing.
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What the data says: AI couldn't halve the time on any of its 12 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 17.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 93% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | not published | not published | 2,520 |
| Arizona | $54,100 | $45,850 to $58,990 | 80 |
| Arkansas | $54,620 | $49,170 to $60,590 | 70 |
| California | $46,810 | $39,550 to $62,810 | 1,170 |
| Colorado | $46,070 | $46,070 to $47,480 | not published |
| Connecticut | $61,320 | $49,120 to $80,400 | 170 |
| Florida | $52,660 | $45,700 to $62,510 | 800 |
| Georgia | $38,540 | $37,010 to $58,250 | 410 |
| Idaho | $54,240 | $49,390 to $63,560 | 70 |
| Illinois | $49,630 | $45,710 to $50,390 | 650 |
| Iowa | $46,040 | $43,220 to $53,030 | 60 |
| Kansas | $42,590 | $42,590 to $50,050 | not published |
| Kentucky | $41,580 | $38,410 to $46,310 | 1,180 |
| Maryland | $39,120 | $39,120 to $43,730 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $46,880 | $43,410 to $61,170 | 500 |
| Michigan | $60,950 | $44,630 to $75,770 | 5,030 |
| Minnesota | $58,820 | $45,800 to $70,260 | 270 |
| Mississippi | $46,610 | $34,740 to $56,180 | 580 |
| Missouri | $46,720 | $45,060 to $53,170 | 1,020 |
| Nebraska | $49,590 | $44,050 to $52,080 | 110 |
| New Hampshire | $70,150 | $60,140 to $79,620 | 160 |
| New Jersey | $50,910 | $49,930 to $68,340 | 140 |
| New York | $46,460 | $45,550 to $58,550 | 1,330 |
| North Carolina | $45,750 | $38,780 to $58,450 | 2,750 |
| Ohio | $74,750 | $61,680 to $79,320 | 3,430 |
| Oklahoma | $45,060 | $35,310 to $60,980 | 130 |
| Oregon | $63,420 | $54,860 to $66,320 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,000 | $45,910 to $59,300 | 90 |
| South Carolina | $46,950 | $44,390 to $52,340 | 1,960 |
| South Dakota | $45,930 | $38,790 to $48,980 | 550 |
| Tennessee | $46,810 | $46,360 to $62,340 | 430 |
| Texas | $47,210 | $40,680 to $54,320 | 490 |
| Utah | $48,730 | $47,010 to $59,240 | 150 |
| Virginia | $36,030 | $35,670 to $55,760 | 570 |
| Washington | $72,800 | $57,760 to $104,470 | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $54,240 | $47,440 to $60,010 | 860 |
Nationally: $53,710. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on none of its 12 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Position or align components for assembly, manually or using hoists. | Not published |
| Not much | Read and interpret assembly blueprints or specifications manuals, and plan assembly or building operations. | Not published |
| Not much | Rework, repair, or replace damaged parts or assemblies. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect, operate, and test completed products to verify functioning, machine capabilities, or conformance to customer specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Set and verify parts clearances. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove rough spots and smooth surfaces to fit, trim, or clean parts, using hand tools or power tools. | Not published |
See all 12 tasks
| Not much | Fasten or install piping, fixtures, or wiring and electrical components to form assemblies or subassemblies, using hand tools, rivet guns, or welding equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Verify conformance of parts to stock lists or blueprints, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauges, or micrometers. | Not published |
| Not much | Lay out and drill, ream, tap, or cut parts for assembly. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain and lubricate parts or components. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble systems of gears by aligning and meshing gears in gearboxes. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and operate metalworking machines, such as milling or grinding machines, to shape or fabricate parts. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 12 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 12 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Plan work activities | |||
| Set up equipment | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Repair workpieces or products |
Show all 15 activities
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Operate cutting or grinding equipment | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for engine and other machine assemblers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,207 moves out
- 1 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 12%
- 2 Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +3.1% 8%
- 3 Drafters, All Other Very high -7.3% 6%
- 4 Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Moderate -13.6% 6%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
Where people moved in from
of 1,191 moves in
- 1 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 10%
- 2 Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +3.1% 8%
- 3 Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Moderate -13.6% 7%
- 4 Drafters, All Other Very high -7.3% 5%
- 5 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 11% less than high school
- 64% high school
- 13% postsecondary certificate
- 5% some college
- 7% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 32 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 6% less than high school
- 44% high school
- 27% some college
- 12% associate's
- 6% bachelor's
- 2% master's
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 113 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
1 program: Engine Machinist.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 4 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Engine and Other Machine Assemblers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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