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Production

Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

Typically requires Postsecondary nondegree award

What is this page & how do I use it?

This is a research report for one career — the kind an analyst would write for a stock. The rating at the top is the neutral baseline (same for everyone); below it come the cases for and against, how the last official forecast for this career actually aged, and what the education path costs and pays.

How to use it: read the bulls-vs-bears case, then hit Score this career to weigh it against your other options with your own interests factored in.

CareerStar rating
MixedHigh uncertainty
top 26% of all 730 careers

Analyst take: Strong market prospects — +12.8% projected growth, high AI exposure (80/100).

51
/ 100
low riskhigh
top row = high reward

Moat (borrowed from investing — the water that defends a castle): how shielded this career is from AI. None = broadly exposed — many of its tasks are automatable and its skills are widely shared. (Exposure ≠ job loss; see the bears below.)

The small grid is a style box (borrowed from Morningstar’s fund reports): the blue square places this career on reward (top row = high) versus risk (left column = low), against all 730 careers. High uncertainty means the score leans heavily on forward-looking bets (mostly AI exposure) that history can't confirm yet.

🐂 Bulls say
  • +Strong projected growth — outpaces 95% of careers (+12.8%).
  • +High pay — above 62% of careers ($65,670).
🐻 Bears say
  • High AI exposure — 80% of tasks are model-touchable (exposure ≠ job loss).
Was this rating fair?
Projected growth
+12.8%
Median pay
$65,670
AI exposure
80/100
share of tasks exposed to AI — not job loss

What this work involves

productionmanufacturinghands-on