Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Machines can already do 18% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 56%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 18% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 56% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 96,130 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $50,270 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 67% for contact with people.
- Also called: Corrugator Operator, Cup Room Technician, Folder Machine Operator, Gluer Operator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension | 18% | 3% to 30% | |
| Examine completed work to detect defects and verify conformance to work orders, and adjust machinery as necessary to correct production problems | 14% | 20% to 60% | |
| Start machines and move controls to regulate tension on pressure rolls, to synchronize speed of machine components, and to adjust temperatures of glue or paraffin | 10% | 20% to 60% | |
| Place rolls of paper or cardboard on machine feed tracks, and thread paper through gluing, coating, and slitting rollers | 9% | 30% to 75% | |
| Disassemble machines to maintain, repair, or replace broken or worn parts, using hand or power tools | 8% | 3% to 30% | |
| Monitor finished cartons as they drop from forming machines into rotating hoppers and into gravity feed chutes to prevent jamming | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Adjust guide assemblies, forming bars, and folding mechanisms according to specifications, using hand tools | 8% | 30% to 75% | |
| Install attachments to machines for gluing, folding, printing, or cutting | 5% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines44% of tasks by 2035 · US median $65,510
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $79,870
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers43% of tasks by 2035 · US median $109,910
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Machines can do 18% of the tasks of paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders today and 56% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 51-9196.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/paper-goods-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders/