Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
Also called: Layout Inspector, Layout Man, Layout Technician (Layout Tech), Layout WorkerLay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, tubes, structural shapes, castings, or machine parts, for further processing. Includes shipfitters.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 14 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 3.4% 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, 3.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other metal workers and plastic workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 64% 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 | $37,590 | $29,120 to $58,550 | 190 |
| California | $74,490 | $62,280 to $87,360 | 480 |
| Florida | $58,170 | $50,910 to $67,580 | 200 |
| Georgia | $52,600 | $45,810 to $60,050 | 80 |
| Hawaii | $87,570 | $81,120 to $90,830 | 140 |
| Kansas | $79,240 | $62,410 to $79,470 | 610 |
| Maine | $74,530 | $62,420 to $81,990 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $63,880 | $47,090 to $78,870 | 90 |
| Michigan | $61,550 | $52,110 to $66,610 | 160 |
| New Mexico | $38,560 | $35,470 to $39,990 | 60 |
| New York | $62,700 | $49,620 to $67,430 | 70 |
| Oregon | $75,020 | $63,880 to $85,310 | not published |
| Pennsylvania | $59,350 | $51,570 to $63,750 | 150 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,170 | $23,220 to $26,070 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $41,650 | $32,800 to $52,400 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $43,250 | $42,280 to $55,950 | 40 |
| Texas | $48,220 | $39,980 to $53,190 | 190 |
| Virginia | $70,260 | $54,970 to $93,600 | 1,080 |
| Washington | $85,300 | $63,520 to $95,560 | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $60,810 | $53,580 to $64,820 | 150 |
Nationally: $63,870. 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 4 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills. | Not published |
| Not much | Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled. | Not published |
| Not much | Compute layout dimensions, and determine and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding and assembly. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules. | Not published |
| Not much | Lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists, and using parallel blocks and angle plates. | Not published |
| Not much | Lay out and fabricate metal structural parts such as plates, bulkheads, and frames. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of metals. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design and prepare templates of wood, paper, or metal. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect machined parts to verify conformance to specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Install doors, hatches, brackets, and clips. | Not published |
| AI + software | Add dimensional details to blueprints or drawings made by other workers. | Not published |
| Not much | Brace parts in position within hulls or ships for riveting or welding. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply pigment to layout surfaces, using paint brushes. | 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 14 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 14 tasks fall under 11 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.
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Design materials or devices | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Plan work activities | |||
| Create decorative objects or parts of objects | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products |
Show all 11 activities
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A chart or visualization49%
- A document or report11%
- A presentation or slides11%
- A script or snippet11%
- An app or website4%
How they worked with Claude
51% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
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 layout workers, metal and plastic 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 620 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 2 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 5%
- 3 Stockers and Order Fillers Moderate +8.9% 5%
- 4 Construction Managers High +9.1% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 539 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 12%
- 2 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 11%
- 3 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 6%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 5 Driver/Sales Workers Moderate +7.9% 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
- 5% less than high school
- 60% high school
- 12% postsecondary certificate
- 15% some college
- 9% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 18 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 14% less than high school
- 52% high school
- 21% some college
- 8% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other metal workers and plastic workers” · 3,391 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
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other metal workers and plastic workers”
2 programs: Machine Tool Technology/Machinist and Machine Shop Technology/Assistant.
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 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (LAY-OUT WORKER I (Any Ind); SHIPFITTER (Ship & Boat)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic” 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
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/51-4192.00