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How exposed to AI is a Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitter?

Of the 23 tasks O*NET lists for structural metal fabricators and fitters, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 22 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
FabricatorFitterLayout ManMetal FabricatorMill Beam FitterShip FitterSmall Parts FabricatorSteel FabricatorStructural PlannerStructural Steel Fitter
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
23
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 21
61k
people do this job in the US
92 of 107
least protected in production

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

1
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools

Cannot be sped up

22
  • Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes
  • Align and fit parts according to specifications, using jacks, turnbuckles, wedges, drift pins, pry bars, and hammers
  • Move parts into position, manually or with hoists or cranes
  • Position, align, fit, and weld parts to form complete units or subunits, following blueprints and layout specifications, and using jigs, welding torches, and hand tools
  • Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences
  • Set up and operate fabricating machines, such as brakes, rolls, shears, flame cutters, grinders, and drill presses, to bend, cut, form, punch, drill, or otherwise form and assemble metal components
  • Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met
  • Tack-weld fitted parts together
  • Lift or move materials and finished products, using large cranes
  • Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches
  • Mark reference points onto floors or face blocks and transpose them to workpieces, using measuring devices, squares, chalk, and soapstone
  • Set up face blocks, jigs, and fixtures
  • Position or tighten braces, jacks, clamps, ropes, or bolt straps, or bolt parts in position for welding or riveting
  • Locate and mark workpiece bending and cutting lines, allowing for stock thickness, machine and welding shrinkage, and other component specifications
  • Erect ladders and scaffolding to fit together large assemblies
  • Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal
  • Straighten warped or bent parts, using sledges, hand torches, straightening presses, or bulldozers
  • Smooth workpiece edges and fix taps, tubes, and valves
  • Preheat workpieces to make them malleable, using hand torches or furnaces
  • Heat-treat parts, using acetylene torches
  • Install boilers, containers, and other structures
  • Direct welders to build up low spots or short pieces with weld
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.