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Leather production machine operator

Also called hide machine operator, beating machine tender, icing machine operator

Leather production machine operators use the tannery machinery and programs according to specific requirements in order to meet the department's standards. They do routine maintenance of the machinery.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects22 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Fur and leather preparing machine operators · ILO

What you'd do

Fur and leather preparing machine operators · ILO
  • Operating and monitoring machines which remove flesh and fat from hides or pelts to clean and soften them prior to processing
  • Operating and monitoring machines which remove long coarse hair from fur pelts, trim hair to even length and dye, stretch and smooth dressed pelts
  • Operating and monitoring machines to remove epidermis hair roots, pigment cells and lime salts from grain side of skin
  • Operating and monitoring machines to reduce thickness of hide or skin to uniform size
  • Operating and monitoring machines to polish or roughen hides or skins to specified finishes
  • Operating and monitoring machines which separate residual wool from skins, or flesh and hair from hides
  • Operating and monitoring machines in which hides are split edgeways to form two or more pieces or to give uniform thickness
  • Operating and monitoring machines which treat hides and skins in solutions to convert them into leather
  • Treating surface of leather with oil and operating glazing machine to give glossy finishes to leather
  • Operating and monitoring machines which apply dyes and stains to leather
  • Maintaining and repairing vats and other machinery
Apply basic rules of maintenance to leather goods and footwear machineryWork in textile manufacturing teamsIdentify with the company's goalsExecute working instructionsUse communication techniques+ 1 more essential skills

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as stationary plant and machine operators in the EU
4.79m4.76m4.7m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,125,000 replacing leavers 71,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Stationary plant and machine operators22
All jobs29
Right now
4 of 27 countries report a shortage of fur and leather preparing machine operators, 3 a surplus.
Fur and leather preparing machine operators · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among plant and machine operators, and assemblers in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in textiles (clothes, footwear and leather) is the usual route.

Highest qualification of stationary plant and machine operators (EU, 2025)
Degree 8%Vocational 53%General secondary 10%Basic schooling 29%
Field that teaches it
Textiles (clothes, footwear and leather)
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.15 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 11 tasks
Operating and monitoring machines in which hides are split edgeways to form two or more pieces or to give uniform thickness0.17
Operating and monitoring machines which apply dyes and stains to leather0.17
Operating and monitoring machines which remove flesh and fat from hides or pelts to clean and soften them prior to processing0.17
Operating and monitoring machines which separate residual wool from skins, or flesh and hair from hides0.16
Operating and monitoring machines which treat hides and skins in solutions to convert them into leather0.16
Operating and monitoring machines to reduce thickness of hide or skin to uniform size0.16
Operating and monitoring machines to polish or roughen hides or skins to specified finishes0.15
Maintaining and repairing vats and other machinery0.14
Treating surface of leather with oil and operating glazing machine to give glossy finishes to leather0.12
Operating and monitoring machines which remove long coarse hair from fur pelts, trim hair to even length and dye, stretch and smooth dressed pelts0.11
Operating and monitoring machines to remove epidermis hair roots, pigment cells and lime salts from grain side of skin0.10

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for fur and leather preparing machine operators. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).