O*NET-SOC 51-9194.00 / model V14 rated-task + local-market engine

Will AI replace
Etchers and Engravers?

Engrave or etch metal, wood, rubber, or other materials. Includes such workers as etcher-circuit processors, pantograph engravers, and silk screen etchers.

Estimated AI task exposure

Low exposure

V11 weights occupation tasks using O*NET Importance, Relevance and Frequency ratings instead of treating every task equally.

26 tasks have usable Task Rating records; weighted-task coverage is 100%.

Digital/info work

17/100

Physical moat

72/100

Human moat

14/100

Rating coverage

100%

26 task statements / 26 rated

Highest-weighted occupation tasks

Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.

Importance 89/100Relevance 85/100Frequency 83/100Weight 0.86

Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.

Importance 86/100Relevance 85/100Frequency 79/100Weight 0.84

Clean and polish engraved areas.

Importance 76/100Relevance 67/100Frequency 65/100Weight 0.70

Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.

Importance 84/100Relevance 63/100Frequency 80/100Weight 0.75

Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required.

Importance 80/100Relevance 67/100Frequency 77/100Weight 0.74

Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.

Importance 83/100Relevance 67/100Frequency 72/100Weight 0.74

Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.

Importance 88/100Relevance 54/100Frequency 82/100Weight 0.74

Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.

Importance 88/100Relevance 56/100Frequency 75/100Weight 0.73

Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays.

Importance 77/100Relevance 58/100Frequency 87/100Weight 0.72

Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.

Importance 87/100Relevance 46/100Frequency 82/100Weight 0.70

Task weighting

Each rated task receives a composite weight: 38% relevance, 37% importance and 25% frequency. Core tasks receive a small additional multiplier. Low-precision rows flagged by O*NET for suppression are excluded.

Occupation scoring

When rating coverage is strong, rated tasks contribute 60% of the digital, physical and human task signals and Work Activities contribute 40%. Lower-coverage occupations automatically rely more on Work Activities.

U.S. labor market

BLS Wage & Employment Outlook

Median annual wage

$43,310

BLS OEWS May 2025

National employment

7,750

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

-0.7%

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Average annual openings

1

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

BLS labor-market figures are separate from the site's AI-exposure model. Missing values mean a compatible detailed BLS occupation estimate was not published or could not be mapped.

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Career pivot radar

Safer Career Alternatives

These options are selected from the same 923-occupation model. They favor a similar task/work profile with meaningfully lower estimated AI exposure. They are suggestions for exploration, not guarantees of job fit.

SAFER ALTERNATIVE