Printing Machine Assistant
6AI USED FOR6%moving to70%
THE DOOR, NOWB
THE DOOR, 20 YRSC
STARTING PAY£18,000 - £22,000
PHYSICAL MOATThe work is hands-on, in the real world. Software alone can't do it.
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Printing Machine Assistant
Printing machine assistants are the backbone of the printing industry, ensuring that high-quality printed materials are produced efficiently and effectively. With the rise of digital media, this role remains crucial, offering a unique blend of technical skill and creativity. If you are looking for a dynamic career that combines hands-on work with the latest technology, this is the path for you.
THE DOOR: A easy to E extremely hard, now and in 20 years
This job holds up well against AI
AI is used for very little of what this job actually involves today, and the work is hands-on, in the real world. Software alone can't do it. That is about as safe as careers get right now, though it is still worth learning to use the tools well.
How this job changes over time
Our best estimates, shown as ranges and grades, not exact predictions.
| WHAT CHANGES | Now | 5 yrs | 10 yrs | 20 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasks AI is used for | 28% | 38% | 50% | 70% |
| Number of jobs | 98-108% | 95-105% | 85-100% | 60-90% |
| How hard to get in | B - achievable | B - achievable | C - hard | C - hard |
| Job security | Strong | Strong | Fading | Unknown |
Right now, AI is already used for about 28% of the day-to-day work in this job, and by 20 years from now that could be around 70%. There are likely to be fewer of these jobs over time, very roughly 60-90% of the 2024 number, 20 years out. Getting your first job here is fairly easy today, and it looks set to get harder. The work is hands-on, in the real world. Software alone can't do it.
What happens, and when
WITHIN 5 yrs
Strong
At this horizon the model has AI used for about 38% of this job's day-to-day work, and the number of these roles is projected at roughly 95-105% of the 2024 total. Getting in is graded B - achievable, and job security here is rated Strong.
WITHIN 10 yrs
Fading
At this horizon the model has AI used for about 50% of this job's day-to-day work, and the number of these roles is projected at roughly 85-100% of the 2024 total. Getting in is graded C - hard, and job security here is rated Fading.
WITHIN 20 yrs
Unknown
At this horizon the model has AI used for about 70% of this job's day-to-day work, and the number of these roles is projected at roughly 60-90% of the 2024 total. Getting in is graded C - hard, and job security here is rated Unknown.
The honest bottom line: AI will keep taking on more of the routine output here, but the work is hands-on, in the real world. Software alone can't do it. That is what keeps this job valuable once the easy work moves to software. Get fluent with the tools, and make sure you are the one holding the part that cannot be automated away.
How to aim for this career
1
Get your hands on the real thing
The protection here is physical: real tools, real materials, real places. Work experience, apprenticeships and hands-on subjects build the skill AI cannot reach from a screen.
2
Learn where AI genuinely helps
Use AI for planning, records and diagnostics, but treat it as a tool that supports the work, not a replacement for doing it.
3
Aim for the site, not the screen
The part of this job that pays is done in a real place with real materials. That is what protects it, so keep steering towards it.
Sources: exposure blends published AI-usage research (Anthropic 2026, observed real-world usage; OpenAI 2026) with our own UK reviews of labour-market moats, robotics evolution and scientific developments. Job-security forecast from OpenAI, "The AI Jobs Transition Framework" (Richmond, 2026, OpenAI Economic Research), CC BY 4.0. Grades and verdicts are Careermash editorial judgment: we show forecasts as forecasts and own our conclusions.