Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
Also called: Extruder Operator, Extrusion Line Operator, Extrusion Operator, Spindraw OperatorSet up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form continuous filaments from synthetic materials, such as liquid polymer, rayon, and fiberglass.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 17 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 3.3% 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, 1.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other textile, apparel, and furnishings workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.4 hires for every 10 job openings in nondurable goods manufacturing, which employs about 68% 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.8.4 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 | $60,100 | $43,960 to $63,180 | 930 |
| Arkansas | $47,770 | $46,900 to $47,970 | 90 |
| California | $45,290 | $42,770 to $53,480 | 330 |
| Florida | $43,520 | $41,210 to $59,000 | 620 |
| Georgia | $45,360 | $41,500 to $49,710 | 2,530 |
| Indiana | $57,200 | $47,520 to $57,200 | 390 |
| Iowa | $48,400 | $40,430 to $57,430 | 100 |
| Kansas | $50,320 | $46,620 to $66,930 | 320 |
| Kentucky | $33,330 | $33,330 to $35,260 | 120 |
| Maryland | $50,790 | $50,790 to $56,980 | not published |
| Michigan | $49,180 | $47,280 to $53,930 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $52,600 | $48,940 to $60,620 | 410 |
| Missouri | $48,810 | $48,810 to $51,710 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $37,630 | $37,630 to $43,970 | 50 |
| New York | $44,120 | $38,640 to $56,460 | 210 |
| North Carolina | $40,090 | $36,910 to $53,230 | 1,980 |
| Ohio | $61,440 | $48,910 to $67,240 | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,960 | $36,440 to $66,610 | 490 |
| South Carolina | $43,380 | $37,670 to $49,980 | 1,080 |
| Tennessee | $46,200 | $40,730 to $71,610 | 320 |
| Texas | $46,970 | $35,980 to $59,460 | 520 |
| Utah | $38,570 | $36,750 to $44,960 | 100 |
| Virginia | $40,770 | $38,920 to $48,340 | 540 |
| Wisconsin | $41,980 | $36,330 to $47,730 | 180 |
Nationally: $46,350. 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 3 of its 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Press buttons to stop machines when processes are complete or when malfunctions are detected. | Not published |
| AI + software | Notify other workers of defects, and direct them to adjust extruding and forming machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe machine operations, control boards, and gauges to detect malfunctions such as clogged bushings and defective binder applicators. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record details of machine malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form filaments from synthetic materials such as rayon, fiberglass, or liquid polymers. | Not published |
| Not much | Move controls to activate and adjust extruding and forming machines. | Not published |
See all 17 tasks
| Not much | Clean and maintain extruding and forming machines, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Load materials into extruding and forming machines, using hand tools, and adjust feed mechanisms to set feed rates. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe flow of finish across finish rollers, and turn valves to adjust flow to specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove polymer deposits from spinnerettes and equipment, using silicone spray, brass chisels, and bronze-wool pads. | Not published |
| Not much | Start metering pumps and observe operation of machines and equipment to ensure continuous flow of filaments extruded through spinnerettes and to detect processing defects. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove excess, entangled, or completed filaments from machines, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Press metering-pump buttons and turn valves to stop flow of polymers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record operational data on tags, and attach tags to machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Wipe finish rollers with cloths and wash finish trays with water when necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Lower pans inside cabinets to catch molten filaments until flow of polymer through packs has stopped. | Not published |
| Not much | Open cabinet doors to cut multifilament threadlines away from guides, using scissors. | 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 17 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 17 tasks fall under 13 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.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification |
Show all 13 activities
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Operate pumping systems or equipment | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
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 extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers 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 2,062 moves out
- 1 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 20%
- 2 Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors Very high +2.9% 13%
- 3 Industrial Machinery Mechanics Moderate +17.8% 13%
- 4 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 11%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
Where people moved in from
of 2,255 moves in
- 1 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 2 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 6%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
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
- 19% less than high school
- 74% high school
- 6% postsecondary certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 18% less than high school
- 26% high school
- 29% some college
- 12% associate's
- 14% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other textile, apparel, and furnishings workers” · 137 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
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
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
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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