Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Maintenance Workers, Machinery?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Maintenance Workers, Machinery, aggregated from 3 research sources.

What this score means

Maintenance Workers, Machinery is among the least exposed roles in Construction & Trades. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 14 out of 100 it sits close to the Construction & Trades average of 14. Across the 3 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 7 to 20, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Maintenance Workers, Machinery, most central first, showing 12 of 18.

01Dismantle machines and remove parts for repair, using hand tools, chain falls, jacks, cranes, or hoists.
02Reassemble machines after the completion of repair or maintenance work.
03Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information.
04Lubricate or apply adhesives or other materials to machines, machine parts, or other equipment according to specified procedures.
05Install, replace, or change machine parts and attachments, according to production specifications.
06Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.
07Collaborate with other workers to repair or move machines, machine parts, or equipment.
08Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance.
09Inspect or test damaged machine parts, and mark defective areas or advise supervisors of repair needs.
10Start machines and observe mechanical operation to determine efficiency and to detect problems.
11Transport machine parts, tools, equipment, and other material between work areas and storage, using cranes, hoists, or dollies.
12Collect and discard worn machine parts and other refuse to maintain machinery and work areas.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 3 research sources that scored Maintenance Workers, Machinery for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

01Anthropic Economic Index 2026 - AI Task Exposure · 2026
02GPTs are GPTs: Labor Market Impact Potential of LLMs · 2024
03AI Occupational Exposure to Language Modeling · 2023

Also covers

Air Deodorizer Servicer · Aircraft Fueler · Airplane Fueler · Airplane Refueler · Airport Refueling Handler · Alemite Operator (Alemite Op) · Automatic Pinsetter Mechanic (AT Pinsetter Mechanic) · Belt Changer and related titles

Estimated displacement window

The dated estimate for this role is included in the full personalised report.

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.