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Machinists vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Machinists and Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Machinists Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$56,150
$61,680
Employment · BLS OEWS
298,790
32,890
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
53rd pct
12th pct

At a glance

Dimension Machinists Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Median pay $56,150 $61,680
Employment 298,790 32,890
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection About average (0.0%) Declining (-14.5%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 29,500 2,800
Typical education · O*NET Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
AI exposure · published exposure studies Moderate · 53rd pct Low · 12th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 28th pct · 18% of tasks 49th pct · 27% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index Automation-leaning (38.1%) —
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman No No

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Finger Dexterity, Control Precision, Mathematics, Mechanical, Production and Processing, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Selective Attention, Near Vision, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Visualization, Multilimb Coordination, Design, Active Listening, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Quality Control Analysis, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Perceptual Speed, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Equipment Maintenance.

Specific to Machinists

  • Operation and Control
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Rate Control
  • Coordination
  • Troubleshooting
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Reaction Time
  • Social Perceptiveness

Specific to Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Extent Flexibility
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Time Management
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Auditory Attention

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software , Enterprise resource planning ERP software , Industrial control software .

Specific to Machinists

Specific to Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

    Full profiles

    This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Machinists or Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

    More comparisons

    Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

    Sources for this page

    Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

    Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

    Cite this page
    Plain

    Singulariki. "Machinists vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/machinists-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers

    APA

    Singulariki. (2026). Machinists vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/machinists-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers

    BibTeX 
    @misc{singulariki-machinists-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers,
  title  = {Machinists vs Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/machinists-vs-aircraft-structure-surfaces-rigging-and-systems-assemblers}
}

    Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.