AI Career Radar

Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.

AI exposure43 / 100Moderate exposure

Based on O*NET work context for this occupation. This score does not predict individual job losses.

What drives the score

Automation and repetition raise exposure; freedom to set tasks lowers it. Each measure uses a 0–100 scale.

Degree of automation23
Freedom to set tasks65
Repeating the same tasks78
$48,750Median annual wage, U.S.BLS OEWS
-9.5%Jobs, 2025 to 2035 (decline)BLS Employment Projections
53Skill durability (fragile)Transferability, out of 100

How well your skills transfer

Each skill is scored on how well it transfers into occupations that are growing and less exposed. The ones high on both importance and transfer are worth deepening.

Highest transferability first

Both scores out of 100

Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Active Listening
63
53
Speaking
63
53
Monitoring
63
53
Critical Thinking
63
50
Judgment and Decision Making
63
50
Coordination
62
47
Active Learning
62
44
Complex Problem Solving
62
44
Reading Comprehension
61
47
Time Management
61
44
Show 25 more skills
Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Writing
60
47
Social Perceptiveness
60
41
Instructing
58
47
Learning Strategies
58
41
Systems Analysis
57
28
Service Orientation
56
28
Systems Evaluation
56
28
Persuasion
54
22
Mathematics
53
47
Science
52
25
Negotiation
52
22
Management of Personnel Resources
50
35
Operations Analysis
49
22
Installation
48
6
Quality Control Analysis
47
53
Equipment Maintenance
47
50
Troubleshooting
47
44
Equipment Selection
47
38
Management of Material Resources
47
19
Management of Financial Resources
47
16
Technology Design
47
0
Operations Monitoring
46
69
Repairing
46
44
Programming
45
19
Operation and Control
43
69

Compare how well you can use each skill in growing, low-exposure occupations with its importance in your current role. How we score skills.

Jobs you could move to

Compare related occupations by skill overlap, retraining effort, pay and projected growth. Choose a priority to adjust the ranking. Licensing requirements may limit some routes.

84/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$120,230
10-yr growth
+34.6%
Skill gap
27%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation

83/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$53,140
10-yr growth
+36.5%
Skill gap
15%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Installation, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving

#3Wind Turbine Service TechniciansInstallation & Repair
82/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$64,120
10-yr growth
+29.5%
Skill gap
19%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Troubleshooting, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Systems Analysis

80/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$135,880
10-yr growth
+21.1%
Skill gap
22%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Active Learning, Monitoring

#5Physical Therapist AssistantsHealthcare Support
80/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$68,380
10-yr growth
+23%
Skill gap
20%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Social Perceptiveness, Persuasion, Service Orientation, Active Listening

A second source of income, before you need it

This page can tell you where Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic could go and what the move costs. The other route is not a move at all: something small of your own, running alongside the job, started while there is no pressure on it.

Where to learn the missing half: Google Career Certificates for systems analysis · active learning, LinkedIn Learning for writing · speaking, edX for mathematics · reading and PlanetNoCode for complex problem solving. Some of those are affiliate links. It never changes what we list.

Snapshot: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035. Scoring v2.1.0-onet-31.0. Method on the how it works page.