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🇬🇧 UKSOC 5223· Skilled Metal, Electrical and Electronic Trades

Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians

Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians erect, install and repair electrical and mechanical plant and industrial machinery, fit and assemble parts and sub-assemblies in the manufacture of metal products and test and adjust new motor vehicles and engines.

Agricultural engineerBench fitterEngineering machinistFabricatorInstallation engineerMaintenance fitterMechanical engineer
£40,002
median salary
£29,947 – £49,132
160,300
currently employed
151,416
projected 2035
Declining
5 tasks scored2 AI Assists3 Human-Led

Task Bundle Breakdown

How AI interacts with this occupation's task bundle

40%
60%
0%
AI automates
40%
AI assists
60%
Human-led

Task-by-Task Breakdown

Every task scored individually — sorted highest to lowest AI exposure

44

examines drawings and specifications to determine appropriate methods and sequence of operations

AI Assists

AI tools like AutoCAD AI or Autodesk can parse technical drawings and suggest operation sequences, but a human fitter must interpret ambiguities, apply contextual knowledge, and make final judgements on the shop floor.

44

examines operation of, and makes adjustments to internal combustion engines and motor vehicles

AI Assists

AI-powered diagnostic tools (e.g. Bosch ESI[tronic], Snap-on diagnostic platforms) can rapidly identify engine faults and suggest adjustments, but a technician must physically carry out repairs and verify real-world performance.

33

erects, installs, repairs and services plant and industrial machinery, including railway stock, textile machines, coin operated machines, locks, sewing machines, bicycles and gas and oil appliances

Human-Led

AI-assisted predictive maintenance platforms (e.g. IBM Maximo, Siemens MindSphere) can flag likely faults before breakdown, but the physical erection, repair, and servicing of diverse industrial machinery requires hands-on skilled labour on-site.

22

fits and assembles, other than to fine tolerances, prepared parts and sub-assemblies to make motor vehicles, printing and agricultural machinery, orthopaedic appliances and other metal goods

Human-Led

While some automated assembly lines use robotic arms for standardised tasks, fitting diverse products like orthopaedic appliances or agricultural machinery to varying specifications still demands skilled human hands and adaptive judgement.

11

fits and assembles parts and/or metal sub-assemblies to fine tolerances to make marine engines, prototype metal products, agricultural machinery and machine tools

Human-Led

Fine-tolerance assembly of marine engines or machine tools requires exceptional manual dexterity, tactile feedback, and precision physical skill that robotic systems cannot yet reliably replicate in varied, non-standardised environments.

ROI Calculator

Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians

7.1hrs
saved per week
342hrs
per year ≈ 9.1 weeks
£7,600
salary-equivalent capacity freed per year

This is not a pay rise — it's 342 hours of productive capacity that AI could return to you, valued at your current rate.

£16,001
value at risk — 40% of role exposed to AI

The portion of your current salary tied to tasks AI can automate or augment. Not a prediction of job loss — a signal of where your role is changing fastest.

How is this calculated?▾

Task weights — each task is weighted by its O*NET frequency rating. Where frequency data is absent, equal weighting is applied.

AI time reduction — tasks scored as "AI Automates" assume 80% time saving; "AI Assists" assumes 40%; "Human-Led" assumes 5%.

Salary equivalent — annual hours saved × (salary ÷ 1,800 working hours/year).

Value at risk — salary × share of role time in AI-automate or AI-assist tasks.

Figures are indicative estimates for planning purposes, not guarantees of productivity gain or job loss risk.