# Tire Builders

> Operate machines to build tires.

- **SOC code:** 51-9197.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9197-00
- **Also known as:** Retread Technician, Tire Builder, Tire Retreader, Tire Technician, Buffer, Recapper, Retread Associate, Retreader
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Place tires into molds for new tread.
- Fit inner tubes and final layers of rubber onto tires.
- Buff tires according to specifications for width and undertread depth.
- Build semi-raw rubber treads onto buffed tire casings to prepare tires for vulcanization in recapping or retreading processes.
- Brush or spray solvents onto plies to ensure adhesion, and repeat process as specified, alternating direction of each ply to strengthen tires.
- Start rollers that bond tread and plies as drums revolve.
- Align treads with guides, start drums to wind treads onto plies, and slice ends.
- Inspect worn tires for faults, cracks, cuts, and nail holes, and to determine if tires are suitable for retreading.
- Measure tires to determine mold size requirements.
- Trim excess rubber and imperfections during retreading processes.
- Roll hand rollers over rebuilt casings, exerting pressure to ensure adhesion between camelbacks and casings.
- Fill cuts and holes in tires, using hot rubber.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Multilimb Coordination _(ability)_
- Finger Dexterity _(ability)_
- Rate Control _(ability)_
- Trunk Strength _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Administration and Management _(knowledge)_
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Extent Flexibility _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Project _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Project _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- SAP software _(hot technology)_
- IBM Lotus Notes
- Programmable logic controller PLC software
- Web browser software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 1st percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 4th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 6th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 2nd percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 86th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 2.3% growth (About average); 2.5k annual openings; 20.9k → 21.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $55,580; 20,970 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-9197-00_