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Machinists vs Tool and Die Makers

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

A factual, source-backed comparison of Machinists and Tool and Die Makers 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 Tool and Die Makers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$56,150
$63,180
Employment · BLS OEWS
298,790
55,130
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
53rd pct
25th pct

At a glance

Dimension Machinists Tool and Die Makers
Median pay $56,150 $63,180
Employment 298,790 55,130
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection About average (0.0%) Declining (-10.8%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 29,500 4,700
Typical education · O*NET Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
AI exposure · published exposure studies Moderate · 53rd pct Low · 25th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 28th pct · 18% of tasks 34th pct · 20% 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, Operation and Control, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Selective Attention, Near Vision, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Visualization, Multilimb Coordination, Design, Active Listening, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Equipment Maintenance.

Specific to Machinists

  • Rate Control
  • Coordination
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Perceptual Speed
  • Reaction Time
  • Social Perceptiveness

Specific to Tool and Die Makers

  • Equipment Selection
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Time Management
  • English Language
  • Active Learning
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Engineering and Technology

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: Computer aided design CAD software , Computer aided manufacturing CAM software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Presentation software , Word processing software , Enterprise resource planning ERP software .

Specific to Machinists

Specific to Tool and Die Makers

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Machinists or Tool and Die Makers — 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 Tool and Die Makers." 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-tool-and-die-makers

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Machinists vs Tool and Die Makers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/machinists-vs-tool-and-die-makers

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-machinists-vs-tool-and-die-makers,
  title  = {Machinists vs Tool and Die Makers},
  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-tool-and-die-makers}
}

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