# Machine Feeders and Offbearers

> Feed materials into or remove materials from machines or equipment that is automatic or tended by other workers.

- **SOC code:** 53-7063.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-7063-00
- **Also known as:** Dryer Feeder, Feeder, Machine Feeder, Offbearer, Cotton Tipper, Lug Loader, Sawmill Worker, Sewing Line Baler
- **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):
- Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed.
- Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment.
- Weigh or measure materials or products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Identify and mark materials, products, and samples, following instructions.
- Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions.
- Remove materials and products from machines and equipment, and place them in boxes, trucks or conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices.
- Load materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices.
- Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks.
- Shovel or scoop materials into containers, machines, or equipment for processing, storage, or transport.
- Open and close gates of belt and pneumatic conveyors on machines that are fed directly from preceding machines.
- Fasten, package, or stack materials and products, using hand tools and fastening equipment.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Control Precision _(ability)_
- Production and Processing _(knowledge)_
- Operations Monitoring _(transferable_skill)_
- Rate Control _(ability)_
- Reaction Time _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Monitoring _(essential_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Machine operation software
- Work time tracking software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 7th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 16th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 13th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 3rd percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 84th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -13.0% growth (Declining); 4.7k annual openings; 46.5k → 40.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $39,700; 46,690 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-53-7063-00_