Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Cutter, Cutter Operator, Machine Operator, Paper CutterSet up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 28 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.9% 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, 4.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Cutting workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.4 hires for every 10 job openings in nondurable goods manufacturing, which employs about 53% 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 | $39,740 | $36,450 to $49,250 | 590 |
| Alaska | $46,240 | $39,420 to $48,820 | 30 |
| Arizona | $46,780 | $40,750 to $53,720 | 760 |
| Arkansas | $47,320 | $41,650 to $60,510 | 800 |
| California | $46,110 | $39,980 to $51,280 | 3,080 |
| Colorado | $51,750 | $44,560 to $58,280 | 700 |
| Connecticut | $44,530 | $39,290 to $47,800 | 450 |
| Florida | $40,540 | $36,380 to $48,410 | 1,370 |
| Georgia | $44,130 | $36,110 to $49,370 | 1,230 |
| Idaho | $46,840 | $46,810 to $48,820 | 160 |
| Illinois | $49,740 | $47,490 to $58,630 | 1,770 |
| Indiana | $46,150 | $40,170 to $53,240 | 2,110 |
| Iowa | $49,600 | $44,900 to $60,890 | 920 |
| Kansas | $44,760 | $43,550 to $48,110 | 760 |
| Kentucky | $48,180 | $43,670 to $56,330 | 900 |
| Louisiana | $41,170 | $36,000 to $50,420 | 110 |
| Maine | $49,200 | $38,820 to $51,750 | 160 |
| Maryland | $44,820 | $38,600 to $52,070 | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $43,790 | $38,670 to $48,740 | 1,280 |
| Michigan | $44,620 | $40,910 to $52,970 | 730 |
| Minnesota | $58,260 | $51,420 to $63,190 | 1,130 |
| Mississippi | $41,590 | $34,360 to $50,600 | 710 |
| Missouri | $50,930 | $45,370 to $57,400 | 1,120 |
| Montana | $51,540 | $41,720 to $59,500 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $48,300 | $46,390 to $52,520 | 530 |
| Nevada | $43,470 | $38,220 to $51,440 | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $50,290 | $42,750 to $60,880 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $48,600 | $39,460 to $59,820 | 1,040 |
| New Mexico | $32,770 | $32,770 to $39,840 | 200 |
| New York | $49,680 | $44,710 to $59,080 | 1,870 |
| North Carolina | $43,770 | $37,290 to $49,830 | 3,100 |
| North Dakota | $47,480 | $47,480 to $53,810 | 70 |
| Ohio | $48,400 | $39,830 to $55,530 | 3,000 |
| Oklahoma | $37,910 | $35,430 to $46,810 | 620 |
| Oregon | $51,180 | $50,410 to $58,860 | 990 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,850 | $39,950 to $55,450 | 1,630 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,010 | $23,760 to $37,440 | 50 |
| Rhode Island | $45,950 | $40,000 to $47,900 | 210 |
| South Carolina | $47,410 | $38,410 to $51,560 | 730 |
| South Dakota | $44,980 | $41,830 to $53,800 | 460 |
| Tennessee | $44,030 | $37,630 to $46,270 | 1,260 |
| Texas | $42,210 | $37,080 to $47,170 | 3,650 |
| Utah | $45,510 | $39,740 to $50,740 | 740 |
| Vermont | $52,220 | $46,600 to $60,470 | 100 |
| Virginia | $44,790 | $40,230 to $49,830 | 840 |
| Washington | $50,430 | $46,830 to $59,850 | 760 |
| West Virginia | $37,920 | $36,840 to $44,960 | 160 |
| Wisconsin | $48,040 | $42,450 to $54,360 | 1,300 |
Nationally: $46,570. 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 28 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards. | Not published |
| Not much | Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure. | Not published |
| AI + software | Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced. | Not published |
See all 28 tasks
| Not much | Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing. | Not published |
| Not much | Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material. | Not published |
| Not much | Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks. | Not published |
| Not much | Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment. | Not published |
| Not much | Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans. | Not published |
| Not much | Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate cranes, or signal crane operators to position or remove stone from cars or saw beds. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels. | Not published |
| Not much | Start pumps to circulate water and abrasives onto blades or cables during cutting. | Not published |
| Not much | Tighten pulleys or add abrasives to maintain cutting speeds. | Not published |
| Not much | Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct workers on cutting teams. | Not published |
| Not much | Sharpen cutting blades, knives, or saws, using files, bench grinders, or honing stones. | Not published |
| Not much | Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames. | Not published |
| Not much | Wash stones, using water hoses. | 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 28 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 28 tasks fall under 26 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
- #31 Program computer systems or production equipment
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate cutting or grinding equipment | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment | |||
| Remove workpieces from production equipment | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes |
Show all 26 activities
| Program computer systems or production equipment | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Set up equipment | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Operate pumping systems or 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 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders 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 8,563 moves out
- 1 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 4%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
- 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 8,100 moves in
- 1 Cashiers High -6.5% 7%
- 2 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 5%
- 4 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants Very high +4.8% 4%
- 5 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 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
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 21% less than high school
- 51% high school
- 17% some college
- 7% associate's
- 3% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Cutting workers” · 651 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Cutting workers”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
19.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
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 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (GANG SAWYER, STONE; STONE-LATHE OPERATOR; Wire Sawyer (Stonework)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” 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/51-9032.00