This document contains structured data on 342 US occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, each scored for AI exposure on a 0-10 scale by an LLM (Gemini Flash). Use this data to analyze, question, and discuss how AI will reshape the US labor market.
Live visualization: https://karpathy.ai/jobs/ GitHub: https://github.com/karpathy/jobs
Each occupation was scored on a single AI Exposure axis from 0 to 10, measuring how much AI will reshape that occupation. The score considers both direct automation (AI doing the work) and indirect effects (AI making workers so productive that fewer are needed).
A key heuristic: if the job can be done entirely from a home office on a computer — writing, coding, analyzing, communicating — then AI exposure is inherently high (7+), because AI capabilities in digital domains are advancing rapidly. Conversely, jobs requiring physical presence, manual skill, or real-time human interaction have a natural barrier.
Calibration anchors:
- 0-1 Minimal: roofers, janitors, construction laborers
- 2-3 Low: electricians, plumbers, firefighters, dental hygienists
- 4-5 Moderate: registered nurses, police officers, veterinarians
- 6-7 High: teachers, managers, accountants, journalists
- 8-9 Very high: software developers, graphic designers, translators, paralegals
- 10 Maximum: data entry clerks, telemarketers
- Total occupations: 342
- Total jobs: 143,066,500 (143M)
- Total annual wages: $8.9T
- Job-weighted average AI exposure: 4.9/10
| Tier | Occupations | Jobs | % of jobs | Wages | % of wages | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimal (0-1) | 9 | 6.2M | 4.4% | $0.3T | 2.9% | $41,394 |
| Low (2-3) | 83 | 47.2M | 33.0% | $2.0T | 22.8% | $43,092 |
| Moderate (4-5) | 85 | 29.7M | 20.8% | $2.0T | 22.4% | $67,393 |
| High (6-7) | 105 | 34.7M | 24.3% | $2.8T | 31.3% | $80,532 |
| Very high (8-10) | 60 | 25.2M | 17.6% | $1.8T | 20.6% | $72,798 |
| Pay band | Avg exposure | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| <$35K | 3.4 | 22.4M |
| $35-50K | 4.4 | 53.7M |
| $50-75K | 5.0 | 29.3M |
| $75-100K | 6.0 | 16.4M |
| $100K+ | 6.7 | 21.3M |
| Education | Avg exposure | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| No degree / HS diploma | 4.1 | 66.9M |
| Postsecondary / Associate's | 4.7 | 13.8M |
| Bachelor's | 6.7 | 36.0M |
| Master's | 5.7 | 3.1M |
| Doctoral / Professional | 5.7 | 2.9M |
| Occupation | Exposure | Outlook | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers | 7/10 | -14% | 41K |
| Tellers | 7/10 | -13% | 347K |
| Desktop publishers | 9/10 | -12% | 5K |
| Bill and account collectors | 9/10 | -10% | 167K |
| Cashiers | 7/10 | -10% | 3.2M |
| Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers | 6/10 | -10% | 47K |
| Nuclear technicians | 5/10 | -8% | 6K |
| General office clerks | 9/10 | -7% | 2.6M |
| Library technicians and assistants | 7/10 | -7% | 163K |
| Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | 5/10 | -7% | 132K |
| Metal and plastic machine workers | 4/10 | -7% | 1.0M |
| Correctional officers and bailiffs | 3/10 | -7% | 406K |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | 9/10 | -6% | 1.6M |
| Computer programmers | 9/10 | -6% | 121K |
| Material recording clerks | 7/10 | -6% | 1.3M |
| Advertising sales agents | 7/10 | -6% | 104K |
| Floral designers | 3/10 | -6% | 44K |
| Medical transcriptionists | 10/10 | -5% | 44K |
| Customer service representatives | 9/10 | -5% | 2.8M |
| Financial clerks | 9/10 | -5% | 1.2M |
| Survey researchers | 9/10 | -5% | 9K |
| Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators | 7/10 | -5% | 365K |
| Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers | 4/10 | -5% | 35K |
| Postal service workers | 3/10 | -5% | 500K |
| Fishing and hunting workers | 2/10 | -5% | 22K |
| Forest and conservation workers | 2/10 | -5% | 11K |
| Network and computer systems administrators | 8/10 | -4% | 332K |
| Cost estimators | 8/10 | -4% | 221K |
| News analysts, reporters, and journalists | 7/10 | -4% | 49K |
| Insurance underwriters | 9/10 | -3% | 127K |
| Computer support specialists | 8/10 | -3% | 882K |
| Political scientists | 8/10 | -3% | 6K |
| Geographers | 8/10 | -3% | 2K |
| Information clerks | 7/10 | -3% | 1.3M |
| Preschool and childcare center directors | 5/10 | -3% | 90K |
| Agricultural workers | 3/10 | -3% | 813K |
| Telecommunications technicians | 3/10 | -3% | 268K |
| Childcare workers | 2/10 | -3% | 992K |
| Food preparation workers | 2/10 | -3% | 903K |
| Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents | 8/10 | -2% | 58K |
| High school teachers | 7/10 | -2% | 1.1M |
| Announcers and DJs | 7/10 | -2% | 40K |
| Kindergarten and elementary school teachers | 6/10 | -2% | 1.5M |
| Middle school teachers | 6/10 | -2% | 634K |
| Elementary, middle, and high school principals | 6/10 | -2% | 333K |
| Machinists and tool and die makers | 4/10 | -2% | 355K |
| Woodworkers | 3/10 | -2% | 215K |
| Logging workers | 2/10 | -2% | 44K |
| Boilermakers | 2/10 | -2% | 10K |
| Models | 8/10 | -1% | 7K |
| Nuclear engineers | 7/10 | -1% | 15K |
| Special education teachers | 5/10 | -1% | 560K |
| Construction and building inspectors | 5/10 | -1% | 148K |
| Dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians | 5/10 | -1% | 67K |
| Teacher assistants | 4/10 | -1% | 1.4M |
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | 4/10 | -1% | 836K |
| Career and technical education teachers | 4/10 | -1% | 240K |
| Waiters and waitresses | 3/10 | -1% | 2.3M |
| Assemblers and fabricators | 3/10 | -1% | 1.9M |
| Occupation | Exposure | Outlook | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind turbine technicians | 2/10 | +50% | 14K |
| Solar photovoltaic installers | 2/10 | +42% | 29K |
| Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners | 5/10 | +35% | 383K |
| Data scientists | 9/10 | +34% | 246K |
| Information security analysts | 8/10 | +29% | 183K |
| Medical and health services managers | 6/10 | +23% | 616K |
| Actuaries | 8/10 | +22% | 34K |
| Operations research analysts | 9/10 | +21% | 112K |
| Computer and information research scientists | 9/10 | +20% | 40K |
| Physician assistants | 5/10 | +20% | 163K |
| Financial examiners | 8/10 | +19% | 65K |
| Occupational therapy assistants and aides | 3/10 | +18% | 54K |
| Logisticians | 7/10 | +17% | 241K |
| Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors | 5/10 | +17% | 484K |
| Home health and personal care aides | 2/10 | +17% | 4.3M |
| Epidemiologists | 7/10 | +16% | 12K |
| Psychiatric technicians and aides | 3/10 | +16% | 183K |
| Physical therapist assistants and aides | 3/10 | +16% | 157K |
| Software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers | 9/10 | +15% | 1.9M |
| Health information technologists and medical registrars | 8/10 | +15% | 42K |
| Financial managers | 7/10 | +15% | 869K |
| Computer and information systems managers | 7/10 | +15% | 667K |
| Speech-language pathologists | 5/10 | +15% | 187K |
| Massage therapists | 2/10 | +15% | 168K |
| Occupational therapists | 3/10 | +14% | 160K |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers | 5/10 | +13% | 90K |
| Marriage and family therapists | 5/10 | +13% | 78K |
| Forensic science technicians | 5/10 | +13% | 21K |
| Orthotists and prosthetists | 4/10 | +13% | 10K |
| Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights | 3/10 | +13% | 538K |
| Medical equipment repairers | 3/10 | +13% | 68K |
| Computer network architects | 8/10 | +12% | 179K |
| Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians | 5/10 | +12% | 164K |
| Medical assistants | 4/10 | +12% | 811K |
| Respiratory therapists | 4/10 | +12% | 140K |
| Fitness trainers and instructors | 3/10 | +12% | 370K |
| Training and development specialists | 7/10 | +11% | 452K |
| Industrial engineers | 7/10 | +11% | 351K |
| Semiconductor processing technicians | 4/10 | +11% | 32K |
| Physical therapists | 3/10 | +11% | 267K |
| Community health workers | 3/10 | +11% | 65K |
| Athletic trainers | 3/10 | +11% | 34K |
| Animal care and service workers | 2/10 | +11% | 439K |
| Personal financial advisors | 7/10 | +10% | 326K |
| Veterinarians | 4/10 | +10% | 86K |
| Chiropractors | 3/10 | +10% | 57K |
Sorted by AI exposure (descending), then by number of jobs (descending).
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical transcriptionists | $37,550 | 44K | -5% | Postsecondary | Medical transcription is a purely digital, routine information-processing task that has already been heavily impacted by speech recognition. Modern AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) can now handle complex medical terminology, formatting, and summarization with high accuracy, transforming the human role into a diminishing oversight function or eliminating it entirely. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer service representatives | $42,830 | 2.8M | -5% | HS diploma | The core duties of this role—answering questions, processing orders, and resolving complaints—are fundamentally digital and information-based, making them highly susceptible to AI-driven automation. Large Language Models and AI agents are already capable of handling complex natural language interactions, and the BLS specifically projects a decline in employment due to automation in this sector. |
| 2 | General office clerks | $43,630 | 2.6M | -7% | HS diploma | The core duties of this role—data entry, document formatting, scheduling, and information processing—are almost entirely digital and routine, making them highly susceptible to AI automation. While some physical tasks like handling mail or greeting visitors remain, the vast majority of the workload can be absorbed by AI agents and automated software, as reflected in the BLS's projected decline for the occupation. |
| 3 | Software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers | $131,450 | 1.9M | +15% | Bachelor's | This occupation is fundamentally digital, with core tasks like coding, debugging, and test automation being primary use cases for Large Language Models. While high-level system architecture and complex stakeholder communication provide some insulation, AI is drastically increasing individual productivity, which will likely lead to significant restructuring of entry-level roles and QA functions. |
| 4 | Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | $49,210 | 1.6M | -6% | Some college | This occupation is almost entirely digital and involves routine information processing, data entry, and mathematical verification—tasks that AI and automated software already perform with high accuracy. The BLS already projects a decline in employment due to technological change, and the shift toward 'analytical and advisory' roles is increasingly being encroached upon by advanced LLMs and specialized financial AI agents. |
| 5 | Financial clerks | $48,650 | 1.2M | -5% | HS diploma | Financial clerks perform routine, digital-first tasks such as data entry, record updating, and basic financial calculations that are highly susceptible to AI automation. While some roles involve customer interaction, the core functions—processing claims, verifying credit, and managing payroll—are increasingly handled by AI-driven software, leading to a projected decline in employment. |
| 6 | Market research analysts | $76,950 | 942K | +7% | Bachelor's | The core duties of this role—data collection, statistical analysis, trend forecasting, and report generation—are fundamentally digital and align perfectly with AI's strengths in processing large datasets and generating insights. While human judgment is still needed for high-level strategy and client relationships, AI can now automate the vast majority of the technical and administrative tasks that define the daily work of an analyst. |
| 7 | Financial analysts | $101,910 | 429K | +6% | Bachelor's | Financial analysts perform work that is almost entirely digital, involving the processing of large datasets, trend analysis, and the generation of reports—all areas where AI excels. While high-level strategy and client relationships provide some insulation, the core tasks of data evaluation, risk assessment, and financial modeling are being rapidly automated or significantly enhanced by AI, leading to major restructuring of the occupation. |
| 8 | Paralegals and legal assistants | $61,010 | 376K | +0% | Associate's | The core duties of this occupation—legal research, document drafting, and information organization—are fundamentally digital and align perfectly with the strengths of Large Language Models. While some interpersonal and courtroom logistics remain, AI can already automate or significantly accelerate the vast majority of a paralegal's workload, leading to the BLS's projection of 0% job growth despite high demand for legal services. |
| 9 | Graphic designers | $61,300 | 266K | +2% | Bachelor's | Graphic design is a fundamentally digital occupation where core tasks—image generation, layout creation, and photo editing—are being rapidly transformed by generative AI. While high-level creative direction and client management remain human-centric, the automation of production tasks significantly increases individual productivity, likely reducing the total number of designers needed for routine commercial work. |
| 10 | Data scientists | $112,590 | 246K | +34% | Bachelor's | Data science is a fully digital occupation centered on coding, statistical modeling, and data analysis—all areas where AI is rapidly achieving parity or superiority. While human judgment is still needed for business context and ethical oversight, AI can now automate significant portions of the data pipeline, including cleaning raw data, generating complex code, and even suggesting optimal model architectures. |
| 11 | Web developers and digital designers | $95,380 | 215K | +7% | Bachelor's | This occupation is entirely digital, with core tasks like writing code (HTML, JavaScript), designing layouts, and creating prototypes being areas where AI has demonstrated high proficiency. AI tools can now generate functional code from natural language and create sophisticated visual mockups, significantly increasing individual productivity and potentially reducing the number of developers needed for standard projects. |
| 12 | Medical records specialists | $50,250 | 195K | +7% | Postsecondary | This occupation is almost entirely digital, involving the processing, classification, and entry of data into electronic systems. AI is already highly capable of natural language processing and automated medical coding, which directly automates the core tasks of reviewing records and assigning clinical codes, significantly reducing the need for human intervention. |
| 13 | Drafters | $65,380 | 192K | +0% | Associate's | Drafters perform work that is almost entirely digital, converting conceptual sketches into technical CAD and BIM models. AI is rapidly advancing in generative design and automated technical drawing, allowing for the immediate translation of engineering specifications into precise models, which significantly reduces the human labor required for these tasks. |
| 14 | Bill and account collectors | $46,040 | 167K | -10% | HS diploma | This occupation is almost entirely digital, consisting of data analysis, skip tracing, and communication via phone or computer. AI and automated systems are already driving a projected 10% decline in employment by handling routine notifications and payment processing, while advanced LLMs are increasingly capable of managing the negotiation and customer service aspects of debt collection. |
| 15 | Database administrators and architects | $123,100 | 145K | +4% | Bachelor's | This occupation is entirely digital, involving coding (SQL), system architecture, and data management—all areas where AI is exceptionally proficient. AI can already automate routine DBA tasks like performance tuning, query optimization, and security monitoring, while LLMs are highly capable of generating and debugging the complex schemas and scripts used by database architects. |
| 16 | Writers and authors | $72,270 | 135K | +4% | Bachelor's | The core work product of writers and authors is entirely digital and text-based, which aligns perfectly with the primary capabilities of Large Language Models. AI can now generate drafts, conduct research, and perform editing tasks across various formats like blogs, copy, and scripts, significantly increasing productivity while simultaneously threatening to automate many entry-level and routine writing roles. |
| 17 | Insurance underwriters | $79,880 | 127K | -3% | Bachelor's | Underwriting is a fundamentally digital occupation centered on routine information processing, risk modeling, and data analysis—all areas where AI excels. The BLS already projects a decline in employment due to automation, and the shift from traditional software to advanced AI will likely automate even complex, non-standard risk assessments that previously required human judgment. |
| 18 | Computer programmers | $98,670 | 121K | -6% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of writing, testing, and debugging code are entirely digital and align perfectly with the strengths of Large Language Models, which are already highly proficient in these domains. The BLS specifically projects a decline in this occupation due to automation and AI, as these tools allow fewer workers to produce the same volume of code and shift higher-level logic to software developers. |
| 19 | Editors | $75,260 | 116K | +1% | Bachelor's | Editing is a fully digital occupation centered on language processing, a core strength of Large Language Models. AI can already perform high-level copy editing, fact-checking, and rewriting, significantly increasing individual productivity and reducing the total number of human editors required for routine content management. |
| 20 | Operations research analysts | $91,290 | 112K | +21% | Bachelor's | This occupation is almost entirely digital, involving data collection, mathematical modeling, and report writing—all areas where AI and Large Language Models excel. While analysts still provide high-level human judgment and stakeholder persuasion, AI can now automate the core technical tasks of coding analytical tools, mining data, and generating optimization simulations, significantly increasing individual productivity and restructuring the role. |
| 21 | Interpreters and translators | $59,440 | 75K | +2% | Bachelor's | The core work product is purely digital information (text and speech) in a domain where Large Language Models already demonstrate near-human proficiency. While high-stakes interpreting (legal, medical) and sign language still require human presence and nuanced judgment, the vast majority of translation and routine interpreting tasks are being rapidly automated or shifted to 'post-editing' roles, significantly reducing the total human labor required per unit of work. |
| 22 | Travel agents | $48,450 | 66K | +2% | HS diploma | The core functions of a travel agent—researching destinations, comparing prices, building itineraries, and processing bookings—are entirely digital and involve information synthesis that AI can now perform instantly. While high-end human agents provide personalized judgment and crisis management, AI's ability to handle complex natural language queries and real-time logistics makes the vast majority of the occupation's routine tasks highly susceptible to automation. |
| 23 | Special effects artists and animators | $99,800 | 57K | +2% | Bachelor's | This occupation is almost entirely digital, with core tasks like 3D modeling, rendering, and animation being directly disrupted by generative AI and automated rigging tools. While high-level creative direction and complex team collaboration remain human-centric, AI is rapidly automating the 'routine' aspects of CGI and visual effects, significantly increasing individual productivity and reducing the total number of workers needed for large-scale productions. |
| 24 | Technical writers | $91,670 | 56K | +1% | Bachelor's | Technical writing is a fully digital occupation centered on synthesizing complex information into clear documentation, a core strength of Large Language Models. AI can already draft manuals, summarize technical specs, and generate code documentation, significantly increasing individual productivity and reducing the total number of human writers needed for routine documentation tasks. |
| 25 | Computer and information research scientists | $140,910 | 40K | +20% | Master's | This occupation is fundamentally digital, involving high-level coding, algorithm design, and data analysis—all areas where AI is rapidly advancing. While these scientists are the ones building AI, the tools they create are increasingly capable of automating their own core tasks, such as writing code, simplifying algorithms, and analyzing experimental results, leading to extreme productivity gains and role restructuring. |
| 26 | Mathematicians and statisticians | $104,350 | 35K | +8% | Master's | This occupation is almost entirely digital, involving data analysis, mathematical modeling, and coding—all domains where AI and Large Language Models excel. While high-level theoretical research and complex interdisciplinary communication require human judgment, AI can now automate significant portions of data cleaning, statistical testing, and code generation, drastically increasing individual productivity and restructuring the workflow. |
| 27 | Court reporters and simultaneous captioners | $67,310 | 18K | +0% | Postsecondary | The core product of this occupation is a verbatim digital transcript, a task where AI speech-to-text and natural language processing are already highly proficient. While legal requirements for human oversight and the need to clarify inaudible speech provide a temporary buffer, the rapid advancement of AI in transcription and real-time captioning creates extreme pressure for automation and massive productivity gains that reduce the need for human workers. |
| 28 | Economists | $115,440 | 18K | +1% | Master's | Economists perform work that is almost entirely digital, involving data analysis, mathematical modeling, and technical writing. AI is exceptionally proficient at the core tasks of this role, including processing large datasets, identifying statistical patterns, and generating reports, which significantly increases productivity and reduces the number of human workers needed for routine analysis. |
| 29 | Survey researchers | $63,380 | 9K | -5% | Master's | Survey research is a fundamentally digital knowledge occupation involving background research, survey design, statistical analysis, and report generation—all areas where LLMs and specialized AI tools excel. The BLS already projects a decline in employment due to data mining and big data efficiencies, and the rapid advancement of AI in synthesizing qualitative data and automating complex statistical workflows makes this role highly susceptible to significant restructuring and labor reduction. |
| 30 | Desktop publishers | $53,620 | 5K | -12% | Associate's | The work product is entirely digital and involves routine information processing, layout design, and basic editing—all areas where AI is highly proficient. Generative AI and automated layout tools can now handle text integration, image adjustment, and formatting with minimal human intervention, leading to a projected decline in the occupation as these tasks are automated or absorbed by other roles using AI tools. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secretaries and administrative assistants | $47,460 | 3.5M | +0% | HS diploma | The core duties of this occupation—scheduling, drafting correspondence, managing databases, and transcribing—are fundamentally digital and align perfectly with the capabilities of LLMs and AI agents. While some roles require physical presence for visitor greeting or office management, the vast majority of tasks are routine information processing that can be automated or significantly streamlined, leading to major restructuring and reduced headcount per organization. |
| 2 | Accountants and auditors | $81,680 | 1.6M | +5% | Bachelor's | Accountancy is a fundamentally digital occupation centered on data analysis, regulatory compliance, and reporting, all of which are highly susceptible to AI and robotic process automation. While high-level advisory roles and complex forensic audits require human judgment and relationship management, the core tasks of data organization, tax computation, and anomaly detection are increasingly being automated, significantly increasing worker productivity and restructuring the entry-level labor market. |
| 3 | Computer support specialists | $61,550 | 882K | -3% | Varies | The core tasks of diagnosing technical issues, documenting problems, and guiding users through digital workflows are highly susceptible to AI automation via advanced chatbots and LLM-driven troubleshooting. While some physical hardware setup and complex onsite networking remain, the vast majority of the work is digital information processing that AI can increasingly handle, as evidenced by the BLS's projected decline in employment due to automation. |
| 4 | Lawyers | $151,160 | 865K | +4% | Doctoral | Lawyers perform high-level knowledge work that is almost entirely digital, involving document drafting, legal research, and complex data analysis—all areas where LLMs excel. While courtroom advocacy and high-stakes interpersonal negotiation provide a protective barrier, the vast majority of billable hours are spent on tasks that AI can now significantly accelerate or automate, leading to major structural changes in the profession. |
| 5 | Computer systems analysts | $103,790 | 521K | +9% | Bachelor's | This occupation is fundamentally digital, involving data modeling, system design, and technical analysis that can be performed entirely on a computer. AI is highly capable of automating core tasks such as writing technical documentation, generating system diagrams, analyzing cost-benefit data, and assisting with the programming and debugging aspects of the role. |
| 6 | Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | $78,140 | 514K | +3% | Bachelor's | This occupation is almost entirely digital and information-based, involving data analysis, market monitoring, and financial modeling—all areas where AI is rapidly achieving parity with human experts. While high-level relationship management and complex negotiation (like M&A) provide some insulation, the core tasks of identifying investment opportunities, executing trades, and providing routine financial advice are highly susceptible to automation and significant productivity gains that could reduce the need for human agents. |
| 7 | Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers | $159,660 | 434K | +6% | Bachelor's | This occupation is predominantly digital and information-based, involving market research, data analysis, and content strategy—all areas where AI is rapidly advancing. While high-level strategic decision-making and stakeholder management provide some insulation, AI can now automate significant portions of campaign planning, creative drafting, and consumer data processing, leading to major restructuring of the role. |
| 8 | Compliance officers | $78,420 | 418K | +3% | Bachelor's | Compliance work is primarily digital and involves analyzing vast amounts of regulatory text, auditing data, and generating reports—all areas where LLMs and automated systems excel. While high-level judgment and interpersonal investigations provide some insulation, the core tasks of monitoring, risk assessment, and documentation are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and productivity gains. |
| 9 | Network and computer systems administrators | $96,800 | 332K | -4% | Bachelor's | This occupation is primarily digital and involves tasks like configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting that are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and 'infrastructure as code' practices. While some physical hardware maintenance remains, the shift toward cloud computing and AI-powered network management tools is already leading to a projected decline in employment as fewer workers can manage larger, more complex systems. |
| 10 | Public relations specialists | $69,780 | 316K | +5% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of this occupation—writing press releases, drafting speeches, creating social media content, and monitoring public sentiment—are digital-first and align perfectly with the capabilities of Large Language Models. While high-level strategy and real-time interpersonal crisis management provide some protection, the vast majority of the daily work product can be generated or significantly optimized by AI, leading to high exposure and potential workforce consolidation. |
| 11 | Loan officers | $74,180 | 301K | +2% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of loan officers—analyzing financial data, verifying documentation, and assessing risk—are fundamentally digital and highly susceptible to AI automation. While complex commercial loans and relationship-based mortgage sales still require human judgment and interpersonal skills, the rapid advancement of automated underwriting and AI-driven customer service significantly reduces the need for human intervention in routine loan processing. |
| 12 | Cost estimators | $77,070 | 221K | -4% | Bachelor's | Cost estimation is a data-intensive, digital-first occupation centered on analyzing blueprints, technical documents, and historical databases to predict costs. AI and advanced software are already driving a projected decline in employment by automating routine calculations and simulations, though human oversight remains necessary for complex site-specific variables and high-stakes negotiations. |
| 13 | Information security analysts | $124,910 | 183K | +29% | Bachelor's | This occupation is entirely digital, involving tasks like monitoring networks, analyzing vulnerabilities, and writing reports that are highly susceptible to AI automation. While AI increases the demand for security to counter AI-driven threats, it also significantly automates the core functions of threat detection, log analysis, and incident response, drastically increasing individual worker productivity. |
| 14 | Computer network architects | $130,390 | 179K | +12% | Bachelor's | The core work of designing, documenting, and configuring networks is fundamentally digital and data-driven, making it highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and optimization tools. While physical hardware deployment and complex stakeholder management provide a slight buffer, AI is rapidly advancing in automated network topology design, security configuration, and predictive troubleshooting, which will significantly increase individual productivity and restructure the role. |
| 15 | Art directors | $111,040 | 135K | +4% | Bachelor's | Art directors work in a fundamentally digital domain where AI is rapidly advancing in image generation, layout design, and video synthesis. While the role requires high-level human judgment, leadership, and client communication, the core work product can be heavily augmented or automated by AI, significantly increasing productivity and potentially reducing the number of directors needed to oversee creative projects. |
| 16 | Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists | $77,020 | 107K | +5% | Bachelor's | This occupation is fundamentally digital and data-driven, involving core tasks like market research, cost analysis, and report generation that align perfectly with AI's strengths. AI can automate the drafting of job descriptions, perform complex compensation benchmarking, and monitor regulatory changes, significantly increasing individual productivity and reducing the need for manual data processing. |
| 17 | Computer hardware engineers | $155,020 | 77K | +7% | Bachelor's | The core work of designing schematics, analyzing circuits, and testing components is increasingly performed using digital Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools that are highly susceptible to AI-driven optimization and automation. While there is a physical component to testing and manufacturing oversight, the vast majority of the engineering lifecycle is digital and benefits significantly from AI's ability to optimize complex systems and generate code/hardware descriptions. |
| 18 | Financial examiners | $90,400 | 65K | +19% | Bachelor's | Financial examiners perform work that is almost entirely digital, involving the analysis of balance sheets, loan documentation, and regulatory text. AI is exceptionally well-suited for automating the core tasks of this role, such as identifying anomalies in financial data, summarizing meeting minutes, and checking compliance against complex legal frameworks, though human judgment remains necessary for final risk assessments and high-level management evaluations. |
| 19 | Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents | $59,740 | 58K | -2% | Bachelor's | This occupation is highly exposed because its core tasks—reviewing financial documents, identifying discrepancies, and interpreting tax law—are digital information-processing tasks where AI excels. While revenue agents handling complex corporate audits and collectors performing field investigations require human judgment and interpersonal skills, a significant portion of the routine examination and data verification work is already being automated or enhanced by sophisticated algorithms. |
| 20 | Budget analysts | $87,930 | 50K | +1% | Bachelor's | Budget analysts perform work that is almost entirely digital, involving data analysis, financial modeling, and report writing—all areas where AI is highly capable. While the role requires human negotiation and communication with stakeholders, the core tasks of consolidating budgets, identifying discrepancies, and performing cost-benefit analyses are highly susceptible to automation and significant productivity gains through AI. |
| 21 | Health information technologists and medical registrars | $67,310 | 42K | +15% | Associate's | This occupation is almost entirely digital, involving the analysis, organization, and validation of clinical data within computerized systems. AI is exceptionally well-suited for core tasks like data abstraction, classification coding, and generating reports from large datasets, which significantly increases the risk of automation and restructuring. |
| 22 | Actuaries | $125,770 | 34K | +22% | Bachelor's | Actuarial work is fundamentally digital, involving the analysis of large datasets, statistical modeling, and financial forecasting—all areas where AI and machine learning excel. While the profession requires high-level human judgment and the ability to explain complex risks to stakeholders, the core technical tasks of data compilation and probability estimation are highly susceptible to automation and significant productivity gains through AI. |
| 23 | Industrial designers | $79,450 | 31K | +3% | Bachelor's | Industrial design is a predominantly digital occupation where core tasks like sketching, 3D modeling, and rendering are being rapidly transformed by generative AI and advanced CAD automation. While the role requires physical prototyping and cross-functional collaboration, the vast majority of the design process is computer-based, making it highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and workflow restructuring. |
| 24 | Cartographers and photogrammetrists | $78,380 | 13K | +6% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of collecting, analyzing, and visualizing geospatial data are fundamentally digital and highly susceptible to AI-driven automation. Computer vision and machine learning are already significantly faster than humans at interpreting satellite imagery, LiDAR, and survey data, while generative AI can increasingly automate the design and production of both static and interactive maps. |
| 25 | Atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists | $97,450 | 9K | +1% | Bachelor's | The core of this occupation involves analyzing digital data, running computer models, and writing code, all of which are highly susceptible to AI advancement. Machine learning is already revolutionizing weather forecasting by outperforming traditional numerical models in speed and efficiency, potentially reducing the number of human forecasters needed for routine data processing and report generation. |
| 26 | Models | $89,990 | 7K | -1% | No formal | While runway and live event modeling require physical presence, the majority of modeling work results in digital or print imagery which is highly vulnerable to AI-generated synthetic media. AI can now create hyper-realistic virtual models or 'digital twins' of existing models, allowing brands to showcase clothing and products without physical photo shoots, significantly reducing the demand for human labor in commercial and catalog sectors. |
| 27 | Political scientists | $139,380 | 6K | -3% | Master's | Political science is a purely digital knowledge-work occupation centered on data analysis, research, and writing, all of which are core strengths of generative AI and LLMs. While high-level strategic judgment and interpersonal networking remain human-centric, AI can now automate the collection of public opinion data, the drafting of policy briefs, and the forecasting of political trends, leading to significant productivity gains and a projected decline in total employment. |
| 28 | Medical dosimetrists | $138,110 | 5K | +3% | Bachelor's | The core of this occupation involves complex mathematical calculations, image analysis (CT/MRI), and digital treatment planning, all of which are domains where AI and machine learning excel. While there is a minor physical component involving patient positioning and equipment calibration, the vast majority of the work is digital information processing that is highly susceptible to automation and AI-driven optimization. |
| 29 | Geographers | $97,200 | 2K | -3% | Bachelor's | Geographers primarily perform digital knowledge work, including data analysis, GIS modeling, and report writing, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation and enhancement. While some fieldwork exists, the core of the profession involves processing satellite imagery and census data—tasks where AI and machine learning are rapidly becoming more efficient than humans. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cashiers | $31,190 | 3.2M | -10% | No formal | While the job has physical components like bagging and stocking, the core function of processing transactions is highly susceptible to automation through computer vision and AI-driven self-checkout systems. The BLS already projects a significant decline in employment due to these technological shifts, as AI can increasingly handle age verification, fraud detection, and customer inquiries. |
| 2 | Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives | $74,100 | 1.6M | +1% | Varies | This occupation is heavily focused on information processing, communication, and data analysis, all of which are highly susceptible to AI enhancement and automation. While high-stakes B2B negotiations and physical trade shows provide a buffer, AI can now handle lead generation, personalized outreach, price optimization, and technical product explanations, significantly increasing individual productivity and reducing the total number of representatives needed. |
| 3 | Postsecondary teachers | $83,980 | 1.4M | +7% | Varies | Postsecondary teaching is primarily knowledge work involving research, writing, and curriculum design—all areas where AI is highly capable. While the role requires significant human interaction and mentorship, AI can automate grading, lesson planning, and literature reviews, potentially increasing individual productivity to the point of restructuring faculty needs. |
| 4 | Information clerks | $43,730 | 1.3M | -3% | Varies | This occupation is highly exposed because its core tasks—processing routine data, answering inquiries, and maintaining records—are fundamentally digital and information-based. While some roles like hotel desk clerks or airport agents require a physical presence, the majority of the work involves routine information processing that is increasingly being automated by AI-driven self-service systems, chatbots, and automated data entry tools. |
| 5 | Material recording clerks | $46,120 | 1.3M | -6% | HS diploma | This occupation is highly exposed because its core functions—tracking data, scheduling, and inventory reporting—are digital information-processing tasks that AI and automated systems excel at. While some physical presence is required to inspect goods or handle packages, the rapid integration of AI-driven logistics software, RFID technology, and computer vision for quality control is already leading to a projected decline in employment. |
| 6 | High school teachers | $64,580 | 1.1M | -2% | Bachelor's | High school teachers are heavily exposed because core digital tasks like lesson planning, content creation, and grading are highly susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. While the physical requirement of classroom management and interpersonal mentorship provides a buffer, AI's ability to provide personalized tutoring and automated feedback significantly reshapes the instructional delivery and administrative workload of the profession. |
| 7 | Management analysts | $101,190 | 1.1M | +9% | Bachelor's | Management analysts perform high-level knowledge work—including data analysis, report writing, and financial modeling—that is highly susceptible to AI augmentation and automation. While the role requires significant interpersonal skills for client interviews and stakeholder management, the core 'back-office' tasks of synthesizing information and developing efficiency recommendations are increasingly being streamlined by AI tools. |
| 8 | Project management specialists | $100,750 | 1.0M | +6% | Bachelor's | Project management is a digital-heavy knowledge occupation involving data analysis, scheduling, and documentation, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation and optimization. While AI can significantly increase productivity in planning and monitoring, the role's heavy reliance on human-centric skills like stakeholder negotiation, conflict resolution, and team leadership provides a protective barrier against full automation. |
| 9 | Receptionists | $37,230 | 1.0M | +0% | HS diploma | Many core tasks such as scheduling, answering phones, and data entry are highly susceptible to automation via AI voice agents and chatbots. While the role retains a physical component for greeting and security, the BLS already projects zero growth due to automation, and the digital nature of the administrative workload makes it highly exposed to further restructuring. |
| 10 | Human resources specialists | $72,910 | 944K | +6% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of recruiting, screening, and administrative record-keeping are highly digital and data-driven, making them prime targets for AI automation and augmentation. While the role requires significant interpersonal interaction and human judgment for interviewing and employee relations, AI can now handle complex scheduling, initial candidate vetting, and policy inquiries, significantly increasing individual worker productivity and reducing the need for entry-level administrative staff. |
| 11 | Financial managers | $161,700 | 869K | +15% | Bachelor's | Financial management is a predominantly digital knowledge-work occupation focused on data analysis, reporting, and forecasting, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation and enhancement. While the role requires significant human judgment, strategic advisory, and leadership, the core technical tasks of monitoring financial details and preparing statements are being rapidly transformed by AI tools. |
| 12 | Computer and information systems managers | $171,200 | 667K | +15% | Bachelor's | This occupation is predominantly digital and knowledge-based, involving strategic planning, analysis, and technical oversight that AI can significantly augment. While high-level leadership, vendor negotiation, and personnel management provide a buffer of human judgment, the core tasks of assessing IT needs, monitoring security, and directing technical workflows are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and automation. |
| 13 | Sales managers | $138,060 | 620K | +5% | Bachelor's | Sales managers perform high-level knowledge work including data analysis, sales forecasting, and strategic planning, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. While the role requires significant interpersonal leadership and relationship management, much of the core digital workflow—such as monitoring CRM data, generating reports, and developing training materials—is being rapidly transformed by generative and analytical AI. |
| 14 | Purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents | $79,830 | 606K | +5% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of analyzing price proposals, monitoring inventory, and reviewing financial reports are highly susceptible to AI automation and optimization. While high-stakes negotiations and physical site visits provide a buffer, the majority of the work is digital information processing that can be significantly streamlined by AI, leading to higher productivity per worker and a restructuring of the procurement process. |
| 15 | Insurance sales agents | $60,370 | 569K | +4% | HS diploma | The core tasks of analyzing policies, customizing insurance programs, and maintaining records are digital and data-driven, making them highly susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. While the role requires interpersonal trust and persuasive sales skills, AI-powered chatbots and recommendation engines are increasingly capable of handling routine inquiries and policy comparisons, significantly increasing individual agent productivity and reducing the need for human intervention in simple transactions. |
| 16 | Training and development specialists | $65,850 | 452K | +11% | Bachelor's | Much of the core work, such as designing training manuals, creating online learning modules, and assessing needs through data, is digital and highly susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. While the role requires interpersonal skills for live delivery and collaboration, AI can now generate curriculum, simulate training scenarios, and personalize learning paths, significantly increasing individual productivity and potentially reducing the number of specialists needed for content creation. |
| 17 | Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators | $76,790 | 365K | -5% | Varies | This occupation is heavily focused on information processing, document review, and data-driven decision-making, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation. While physical inspections and interpersonal negotiations provide some protection, the BLS already projects a decline in employment due to AI's ability to analyze photos of damage and automate claim calculations. |
| 18 | Industrial engineers | $101,140 | 351K | +11% | Bachelor's | Industrial engineering is heavily focused on data analysis, systems design, and process optimization—tasks where AI and machine learning excel. While the role requires physical site visits and human collaboration to understand workflows, the core work product is digital analysis and modeling, making the occupation highly susceptible to significant productivity gains and restructuring through AI-driven automation. |
| 19 | Tellers | $39,340 | 347K | -13% | HS diploma | Tellers face high exposure because their core tasks—processing routine financial transactions and verifying information—are digital in nature and highly susceptible to automation through AI and advanced self-service technology. While the physical handling of cash provides a slight buffer, the rapid shift toward mobile banking, AI-driven fraud detection, and interactive video kiosks is significantly reducing the need for human intervention in these roles. |
| 20 | Personal financial advisors | $102,140 | 326K | +10% | Bachelor's | The core technical tasks of this role—analyzing market data, optimizing portfolios, and tax planning—are digital and highly susceptible to AI automation, as evidenced by the rise of robo-advisors. However, the occupation is protected by a significant interpersonal component, as clients often require human trust, emotional reassurance during market volatility, and complex ethical judgment that AI cannot yet fully replicate. |
| 21 | Mechanical engineers | $102,320 | 293K | +9% | Bachelor's | Mechanical engineering is heavily reliant on digital tools like CAD, simulations, and data analysis, all of which are being rapidly enhanced by AI to automate complex design iterations and predictive modeling. While the role requires physical prototyping, site visits, and hardware testing, the core intellectual work of designing and analyzing mechanical systems is increasingly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and automation. |
| 22 | Electrical and electronics engineers | $118,780 | 288K | +7% | Bachelor's | The core work of designing circuits, modeling systems, and writing documentation is digital and highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and optimization. While physical testing, site visits, and manufacturing supervision provide a buffer, the rapid advancement of AI in CAD, simulation, and coding significantly increases the productivity and exposure of the knowledge-work components. |
| 23 | Logisticians | $80,880 | 241K | +17% | Bachelor's | Logisticians perform high-level knowledge work that is primarily digital, involving data analysis, forecasting, and supply chain optimization—tasks where AI excels. While the role requires human-to-human negotiation and real-world problem-solving for physical disruptions, the core functions of inventory management and route optimization are increasingly being automated or enhanced by sophisticated AI algorithms. |
| 24 | Instructional coordinators | $74,720 | 233K | +1% | Master's | Instructional coordinators perform high-level knowledge work including curriculum development, data analysis, and educational material review, all of which are digital-first tasks highly susceptible to AI augmentation. While the role requires significant interpersonal interaction for teacher coaching and stakeholder management, the core 'product'—curricula and instructional strategies—can be generated and optimized much faster using generative AI and advanced analytics. |
| 25 | Postsecondary education administrators | $103,960 | 227K | +2% | Master's | This occupation is heavily centered on digital information processing, including reviewing applications, analyzing student data, managing budgets, and maintaining academic records—all tasks where AI can significantly increase productivity or automate routine workflows. While roles like deans and student affairs officers require high-level human judgment and interpersonal relationship management, the underlying administrative and analytical work is highly susceptible to AI integration and restructuring. |
| 26 | Human resources managers | $140,030 | 222K | +5% | Bachelor's | Human resources management is a digital-heavy knowledge occupation where AI can significantly automate recruitment screening, payroll processing, and regulatory compliance reporting. While the role requires high-level interpersonal skills for dispute mediation and strategic leadership, the vast majority of the administrative and analytical tasks are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and restructuring. |
| 27 | Tutors | $40,090 | 216K | +1% | Some college | Tutors primarily engage in knowledge transfer, explanation, and feedback—tasks where generative AI and personalized learning algorithms excel. While the interpersonal and motivational aspects of tutoring provide some protection, the core work product is digital/informational, and AI's ability to provide 24/7, low-cost, personalized instruction for standardized tests and core subjects creates significant displacement risk. |
| 28 | Architectural and engineering managers | $167,740 | 212K | +4% | Bachelor's | This occupation is predominantly knowledge-based and digital, involving project planning, budgeting, and technical oversight that can be significantly enhanced by AI tools. While the role requires high-level human judgment, leadership, and physical site visits, the core tasks of analyzing technical data, scheduling, and coordinating complex engineering workflows are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and automation. |
| 29 | Producers and directors | $83,480 | 167K | +5% | Bachelor's | Producers and directors are highly exposed because their core work products—scripts, visual aesthetics, and edited video—are increasingly being generated or enhanced by AI tools. While the role requires significant human leadership and physical presence on set, the rapid advancement of generative AI in pre-production (scripting/storyboarding) and post-production (editing/VFX) allows a single director to do the work of a much larger team, potentially consolidating the industry. |
| 30 | Medical scientists | $100,590 | 165K | +9% | Doctoral | Medical scientists perform high-level knowledge work including data analysis, grant writing, and literature reviews, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation and automation. While physical laboratory work and clinical trials provide a buffer, the core of the profession is shifting toward computational biology and AI-driven drug discovery, significantly increasing productivity and reshaping research methodologies. |
| 31 | Library technicians and assistants | $37,540 | 163K | -7% | Varies | A significant portion of this role involves routine information processing, cataloging, and answering reference questions, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation. While physical tasks like reshelving books and interpersonal community programming provide some protection, the core digital and clerical functions are increasingly being handled by automated systems and AI-driven search tools. |
| 32 | Photographers | $42,520 | 151K | +2% | HS diploma | Photography is a hybrid role where the physical act of capturing real-world events (weddings, news, portraits) provides a buffer, but the digital output is highly vulnerable to AI. Generative AI can now create high-quality commercial and stock imagery from scratch and automate complex post-production tasks, significantly reducing the billable hours and demand for professional photographers in commercial and creative sectors. |
| 33 | Librarians and library media specialists | $64,320 | 142K | +2% | Master's | Librarianship is fundamentally about information retrieval, organization, and research—domains where LLMs and AI search engines excel. While the physical presence in schools and public libraries provides a buffer through community programming and interpersonal support, the core technical tasks of cataloging, database management, and reference assistance are highly exposed to AI automation and displacement. |
| 34 | Fundraisers | $66,490 | 134K | +4% | Bachelor's | Fundraising involves significant digital work including donor research, data analysis, and the creation of promotional messaging, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation and enhancement. While major gift solicitation and event management require high-level interpersonal skills and physical presence, the majority of the administrative, analytical, and communication-based tasks are moving toward AI-driven workflows. |
| 35 | Public relations and fundraising managers | $132,870 | 129K | +5% | Bachelor's | The core digital tasks of this role—writing press releases, drafting speeches, analyzing social media trends, and creating fundraising strategies—are highly susceptible to AI automation and enhancement. However, the role's heavy reliance on high-stakes interpersonal relationships, such as face-to-face donor meetings and managing media crises, provides a significant human-centric buffer that prevents a higher score. |
| 36 | Architects | $96,690 | 124K | +4% | Bachelor's | Architects perform high-level knowledge work that is increasingly digital, utilizing CADD and BIM software which is highly susceptible to AI-driven automation in generative design and technical documentation. While the role requires physical site visits and complex client negotiations, a significant portion of the core work—drafting, specification writing, and regulatory compliance—is moving toward high AI integration. |
| 37 | Public safety telecommunicators | $50,730 | 105K | +3% | HS diploma | The core tasks of this role—receiving digital inputs (voice, text, video), processing information according to protocols, and dispatching resources—are highly susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. While the high-stakes nature and need for human empathy provide a temporary buffer, AI's ability to transcribe, translate, and prioritize emergency calls in real-time will significantly restructure the occupation and increase individual worker productivity. |
| 38 | Natural sciences managers | $161,180 | 104K | +4% | Bachelor's | This role is predominantly knowledge-based, involving data analysis, budgeting, and technical reporting, all of which are highly susceptible to AI enhancement and automation. While the job requires significant human-centric leadership and physical oversight of laboratories, AI will drastically increase productivity in reviewing research, drafting operational reports, and optimizing resource allocation. |
| 39 | Advertising sales agents | $61,460 | 104K | -6% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves digital knowledge work such as analyzing sales statistics, preparing media kits, and drafting contracts, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation. While the role requires interpersonal relationship building, the shift toward programmatic advertising and AI-driven ad placement is already reducing the need for human intermediaries in the sales process, as reflected in the projected employment decline. |
| 40 | Chemists and materials scientists | $86,620 | 96K | +5% | Bachelor's | This occupation is a high-level blend of digital knowledge work and physical laboratory experimentation. AI is already revolutionizing the digital aspects—such as molecular modeling, predictive simulation, and technical reporting—allowing scientists to screen millions of compounds in silico before ever entering a lab. While the physical requirement of conducting experiments and handling chemicals provides a buffer, the massive productivity gains in research and analysis mean AI will fundamentally restructure how these scientists spend their time. |
| 41 | Interior designers | $63,490 | 87K | +3% | Bachelor's | Interior design is heavily reliant on digital tools like CAD and BIM, which are being rapidly transformed by generative AI capable of creating photorealistic renderings and floor plans from text prompts. While the job requires physical site visits, material inspections, and complex interpersonal coordination with contractors, the core creative and technical drafting tasks are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and productivity gains. |
| 42 | Film and video editors and camera operators | $70,570 | 80K | +3% | Bachelor's | This occupation is a hybrid of physical camera operation and digital video editing. While camera operators have a physical barrier to AI due to the need for on-site equipment management and real-world positioning, editors work entirely in digital environments where AI is rapidly automating tasks like color grading, sound syncing, and even rough-cut generation. The rise of generative video and AI-driven post-production tools significantly increases the productivity of each worker, potentially reducing the total number of editors needed for complex projects. |
| 43 | Property appraisers and assessors | $65,420 | 77K | +4% | Bachelor's | The core of this occupation involves analyzing data, comparing market trends, and generating reports, all of which are highly susceptible to Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) and AI-driven data analysis. While physical site inspections and the need to defend assessments in public hearings provide a buffer, the shift toward 'desktop appraisals' and AI-assisted mass assessments significantly reduces the human labor required per valuation. |
| 44 | Aerospace engineers | $134,830 | 72K | +6% | Bachelor's | Aerospace engineering is a high-level knowledge occupation where core tasks like aerodynamic modeling, structural analysis, and propulsion design are increasingly performed using digital simulation and AI-driven optimization tools. While the role requires critical human judgment for safety, regulatory compliance, and physical inspection of prototypes, the heavy reliance on computer-aided design (CAD) and complex data analysis makes it highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and task automation. |
| 45 | Labor relations specialists | $93,500 | 65K | +0% | Bachelor's | This occupation is predominantly digital and knowledge-based, involving the drafting of contracts, policy development, and legal compliance—all areas where AI excels. While the high-stakes interpersonal negotiation and dispute resolution provide a buffer, AI will significantly automate the research, document generation, and investigative analysis components of the role. |
| 46 | Actors | $48,526 | 57K | +0% | Some college | While live theater and physical presence on set remain human-centric, the occupation is highly exposed due to AI's ability to generate digital likenesses, synthesize voices, and replace background extras or voiceover artists. The core work product—audio and video—is increasingly susceptible to generative AI, leading to significant industry restructuring and potential displacement in digital media productions. |
| 47 | Sales engineers | $121,520 | 57K | +5% | Bachelor's | Sales engineers perform high-level knowledge work that is increasingly digital, including technical presentations, product customization, and troubleshooting. While AI can automate technical documentation, demo generation, and data-driven customer insights, the role's heavy reliance on complex interpersonal relationships, negotiation, and trust-building provides a significant buffer against full automation. |
| 48 | News analysts, reporters, and journalists | $60,280 | 49K | -4% | Bachelor's | The core work product is digital (text, scripts, and multimedia), and AI can already automate significant portions of research, drafting, and editing. While physical presence for field reporting and the cultivation of human sources provide a protective barrier, the overall occupation faces high exposure as AI tools drastically increase individual productivity, potentially leading to further industry consolidation and fewer required roles. |
| 49 | Music directors and composers | $63,670 | 47K | +0% | Bachelor's | The occupation is a hybrid of high-exposure digital work (composing) and lower-exposure physical work (conducting). Generative AI is rapidly automating music composition, arrangement, and scoring for commercial media, while the music director role remains more resilient due to the need for live leadership, physical rehearsals, and human-to-human artistic interpretation. |
| 50 | Training and development managers | $127,090 | 46K | +6% | Bachelor's | This role is predominantly digital and knowledge-based, involving the creation of instructional content, data-driven needs assessments, and budget management—all areas where AI is highly capable. While the role requires significant human-centric leadership and stakeholder collaboration, AI can automate the generation of training materials, personalize learning paths, and analyze program effectiveness, substantially increasing the productivity of each manager. |
| 51 | Judges and hearing officers | $135,160 | 45K | +1% | Doctoral | The core tasks of researching legal issues, evaluating documents, and writing opinions are highly digital and susceptible to AI automation, which can significantly increase productivity and reduce the need for human staff. However, the role requires high-stakes human judgment, presiding over physical courtrooms, and maintaining public trust, which creates a significant barrier to full automation. |
| 52 | Urban and regional planners | $83,720 | 45K | +3% | Master's | Urban planners perform heavy knowledge work including data analysis, GIS mapping, and report writing, all of which are highly susceptible to AI enhancement and automation. However, the role requires significant physical site inspections and high-stakes interpersonal negotiation with government officials and the public, which provides a buffer against total automation. |
| 53 | Adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers | $59,950 | 41K | -14% | Bachelor's | The core work product—language instruction, literacy training, and test preparation—is fundamentally digital and information-based, making it highly susceptible to AI-driven tutoring and translation tools. While the role requires significant cultural sensitivity and interpersonal motivation, AI can now provide personalized lesson plans, real-time feedback, and adaptive learning paths that significantly increase teacher productivity or replace routine instructional tasks. |
| 54 | Announcers and DJs | $45,115 | 40K | -2% | Varies | The occupation is split between highly exposed digital work and less exposed physical work. Broadcast and radio roles are under significant threat from AI-generated voices and automated content curation, whereas live event DJs and emcees retain a physical and interpersonal barrier that is harder to automate. |
| 55 | Biochemists and biophysicists | $103,650 | 36K | +6% | Doctoral | This occupation is heavily centered on knowledge work, data analysis, and complex modeling, all of which are being revolutionized by AI (e.g., AlphaFold for protein structure prediction). While physical laboratory work and team management provide a buffer, a significant portion of the role involves literature review, grant writing, and data interpretation—tasks where AI can exponentially increase productivity or automate core analytical functions. |
| 56 | Credit counselors | $50,480 | 32K | +3% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of credit counseling—analyzing financial data, creating budgets, and explaining debt management options—are fundamentally digital and information-based, making them highly susceptible to AI automation. While the role requires interpersonal skills and emotional support for clients in financial distress, AI can already perform the complex calculations and personalized recommendation generation that constitute the bulk of the technical work. |
| 57 | Set and exhibit designers | $66,280 | 31K | +2% | Bachelor's | The core creative process—including script analysis, conceptual sketching, and CAD modeling—is increasingly susceptible to generative AI and automated design tools that can rapidly produce 3D environments and visual concepts. While the role requires physical-world considerations like material budgets and on-site installation oversight, the shift toward digital production (such as virtual sets and LED volumes) and AI-assisted drafting significantly increases productivity and reduces the total human labor required per project. |
| 58 | Physicists and astronomers | $166,290 | 26K | +4% | Doctoral | Physicists and astronomers perform high-level knowledge work that is increasingly digital, including data analysis, mathematical modeling, and software development. While AI significantly accelerates data processing and literature review, the core requirements of original theoretical innovation, experimental design, and complex physical-world problem solving provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 59 | Fashion designers | $80,690 | 26K | +2% | Bachelor's | Fashion design is increasingly digital, utilizing CAD and graphics software for sketching, trend analysis, and virtual modeling—all areas where generative AI is rapidly advancing. While the physical aspects of selecting fabrics, creating prototypes, and overseeing production provide a buffer, the core creative and analytical tasks are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and productivity gains. |
| 60 | Air traffic controllers | $144,580 | 24K | +1% | Associate's | The core work is fundamentally digital and data-driven, involving the monitoring of radar screens and the processing of complex spatial information to ensure aircraft separation. While the high-stakes nature of safety and the need for real-time human communication with pilots provide a buffer, AI and automated systems (like NextGen) are already increasing productivity and handling more traffic per controller, leading to a very low projected growth in human employment. |
| 61 | Materials engineers | $108,310 | 23K | +6% | Bachelor's | Materials engineering is heavily reliant on digital simulation, data analysis, and computational modeling, areas where AI and machine learning are already accelerating material discovery and property prediction. While the role requires physical lab work and manufacturing oversight, a significant portion of the core value—designing alloys, analyzing failures, and writing technical reports—is increasingly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and automation. |
| 62 | Bioengineers and biomedical engineers | $106,950 | 22K | +5% | Bachelor's | This occupation involves heavy digital knowledge work, including software design, statistical modeling, and technical writing, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation and automation. While physical tasks like equipment maintenance and clinical collaboration provide a buffer, the core engineering and research functions are increasingly driven by AI-enhanced simulations and data analysis. |
| 63 | Landscape architects | $79,660 | 22K | +3% | Bachelor's | Landscape architecture is a predominantly digital knowledge-based occupation where core tasks like CADD modeling, site analysis, and cost estimation are highly susceptible to AI automation and enhancement. While the role requires physical site visits and interpersonal client management, the generative design capabilities of AI can significantly accelerate the creative and technical drafting phases, potentially reducing the total human hours required per project. |
| 64 | Compensation and benefits managers | $140,360 | 21K | +0% | Bachelor's | This occupation is primarily digital and data-driven, involving the analysis of wage trends, benefits structures, and regulatory compliance—tasks where AI excels. While the role requires high-level human judgment for vendor negotiations and strategic decision-making, AI can automate significant portions of the data analysis, reporting, and routine employee communication, leading to higher productivity and potential workforce consolidation. |
| 65 | Nuclear engineers | $127,520 | 15K | -1% | Bachelor's | Nuclear engineering is a high-level knowledge profession where core tasks—such as reactor design, dose calculations, and safety simulations—are performed using digital tools and complex mathematical modeling. While the high-stakes regulatory environment and the need for physical inspections at power plants provide a buffer, AI is rapidly advancing in its ability to optimize designs, analyze sensor data for predictive maintenance, and automate technical documentation. |
| 66 | Epidemiologists | $83,980 | 12K | +16% | Master's | Epidemiology is a data-intensive knowledge profession where core tasks like statistical analysis, pattern recognition in large datasets, and literature reviews are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. While the role requires human judgment for policy-making, community outreach, and field investigations, the shift toward digital health records and automated surveillance systems significantly increases the productivity and exposure of the occupation. |
| 67 | Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators | $67,710 | 9K | +4% | Bachelor's | This occupation is primarily digital and information-based, involving the analysis of legal documents, evidence, and the drafting of settlement agreements—tasks where AI is rapidly achieving high proficiency. While the role requires significant interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to manage confrontational parties, the core analytical and administrative functions are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and partial automation. |
| 68 | Marine engineers and naval architects | $105,670 | 8K | +6% | Bachelor's | The core of this occupation involves digital design, complex mathematical modeling, and technical report writing, all of which are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains and automation. While physical site visits to shipyards and offshore platforms provide a buffer, the shift toward AI-integrated CAD, automated performance testing, and generative design for hulls and machinery significantly reshapes the workflow. |
| 69 | Historians | $74,050 | 3K | +2% | Master's | Historians perform high-level knowledge work—researching, analyzing, and writing—that is increasingly digital and highly susceptible to AI-driven efficiency gains in document processing and synthesis. While the job requires human judgment and physical interaction with artifacts or archives, the core output of reports and articles faces significant restructuring as AI tools become capable of parsing vast historical datasets and drafting complex narratives. |
| 70 | Sociologists | $101,690 | 3K | +4% | Master's | Sociology is a knowledge-intensive field where core tasks like data analysis, literature reviews, and report writing are highly susceptible to AI enhancement. While qualitative field research and interpersonal interviews provide a buffer, the shift toward digital data collection and AI-driven statistical modeling significantly increases worker productivity and reshapes the research process. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top executives | $105,350 | 4.0M | +4% | Bachelor's | Top executives perform high-level knowledge work including financial analysis, strategic planning, and contract review, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the core of the role involves human-centric responsibilities like leadership, high-stakes negotiation, and accountability to boards or the public, which provide a significant buffer against full automation. |
| 2 | Kindergarten and elementary school teachers | $62,310 | 1.5M | -2% | Bachelor's | AI will significantly automate back-end knowledge work such as lesson planning, grading, and administrative communication, which currently occupy a large portion of a teacher's time. However, the core of the role involves physical supervision, emotional support, and real-time behavioral management of young children, which creates a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 3 | Middle school teachers | $62,970 | 634K | -2% | Bachelor's | Middle school teachers have high exposure because a significant portion of their workload—lesson planning, grading, and content creation—is digital and highly susceptible to AI automation. However, the core of the job requires physical presence for classroom management, emotional support for adolescents, and real-time interpersonal interaction, which provides a substantial buffer against full automation. |
| 4 | Medical and health services managers | $117,960 | 616K | +23% | Bachelor's | This role involves a high volume of digital knowledge work, such as budgeting, scheduling, and regulatory compliance, which are highly susceptible to AI optimization. However, the core responsibilities of recruiting, supervising staff, and navigating complex interpersonal relationships within a physical healthcare facility provide a significant buffer against full automation. |
| 5 | Real estate brokers and sales agents | $58,960 | 532K | +3% | HS diploma | Real estate agents perform a mix of digital knowledge work and physical/interpersonal tasks. AI can automate significant portions of their digital workload, such as market analysis, property descriptions, lead generation, and contract preparation, which increases individual productivity and may reduce the total number of agents needed. However, the core of the job still requires physical property showings, high-stakes human negotiation, and local networking, which provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 6 | Property, real estate, and community association managers | $66,700 | 466K | +4% | HS diploma | This occupation is a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical site management. While AI can automate significant portions of the job—such as drafting leases, financial reporting, budgeting, and coordinating maintenance requests—the role still requires physical inspections of facilities and high-stakes interpersonal conflict resolution. The exposure is high because the administrative and analytical 'office' tasks that comprise a large part of the day are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains. |
| 7 | School and career counselors and advisors | $65,140 | 376K | +4% | Master's | This occupation is a mix of high-touch interpersonal work and digital information processing. AI can significantly automate the 'hard' data tasks like analyzing student performance trends, matching aptitudes to career paths, and drafting résumés, but the core functions of emotional support, crisis intervention (reporting abuse), and navigating complex human relationships in a school setting provide a strong buffer against full automation. |
| 8 | Civil engineers | $99,590 | 369K | +5% | Bachelor's | Civil engineering involves significant digital knowledge work, including CAD design, data analysis, and cost estimation, which are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains. However, the role is anchored by the necessity for physical site inspections, real-world surveying, and the legal accountability of a Professional Engineer (PE) license, which requires human judgment and liability that AI cannot currently replace. |
| 9 | Elementary, middle, and high school principals | $104,070 | 333K | -2% | Master's | Principals perform significant knowledge work—such as curriculum development, budget management, and data analysis of student performance—that is highly susceptible to AI augmentation and automation. However, the core of the role requires physical presence for school safety, real-time crisis management, and high-stakes interpersonal interactions with students, parents, and staff that AI cannot currently replicate. |
| 10 | Industrial production managers | $121,440 | 242K | +2% | Bachelor's | This role is a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical oversight. AI will significantly enhance the analytical aspects of the job, such as production scheduling, budget optimization, and predictive maintenance data analysis, but the core requirements of physical plant presence, personnel management, and real-time problem-solving in a manual environment provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 11 | Social and community service managers | $78,240 | 220K | +6% | Bachelor's | This role involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, such as grant writing, data analysis, and budget management, which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the core responsibilities of community stakeholder engagement, staff supervision, and navigating complex human crises provide a buffer that requires physical presence and high-level emotional intelligence. |
| 12 | Transportation, storage, and distribution managers | $102,010 | 217K | +6% | HS diploma | This role involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, such as logistics planning, budgeting, and supply chain optimization, which are highly susceptible to AI-driven efficiency gains. However, the core job also requires physical presence for facility inspections, safety compliance monitoring, and high-stakes interpersonal leadership in unpredictable environments like warehouses and railyards, providing a buffer against full automation. |
| 13 | Psychologists | $94,310 | 204K | +6% | Varies | Psychology is a knowledge-based profession where core tasks like analyzing data, writing reports, and researching are highly susceptible to AI enhancement. However, the critical requirements for human empathy, ethical judgment, and real-time interpersonal observation in clinical and school settings create a significant barrier to full automation. |
| 14 | Meeting, convention, and event planners | $59,440 | 156K | +5% | Bachelor's | A significant portion of the role involves digital tasks such as logistics planning, vendor research, contract review, and communications, which are highly susceptible to AI automation and productivity gains. However, the core of the job requires physical site inspections, real-time on-site problem solving during events, and high-stakes interpersonal negotiation and relationship management, which provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 15 | Broadcast, sound, and video technicians | $56,600 | 146K | +1% | Varies | This occupation is a hybrid of physical labor (setting up hardware, rigging lights, running cables) and digital knowledge work (mixing sound, editing video, managing broadcast signals). While the physical installation tasks are resistant to AI, the digital components—such as sound leveling, video editing, and signal monitoring—are being rapidly automated by AI tools, leading to higher productivity and a projected decline in specialized roles like sound and broadcast technicians. |
| 16 | Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists | $64,520 | 92K | +3% | Bachelor's | This occupation is a hybrid of high-exposure digital tasks (writing case reports, risk assessment, and data-driven monitoring) and low-exposure physical/interpersonal tasks (home visits, drug testing, and building trust with hostile clients). While AI can significantly automate documentation and predictive risk modeling, the legal requirement for human testimony and the physical necessity of community supervision provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 17 | Dietitians and nutritionists | $73,850 | 91K | +6% | Bachelor's | The core tasks of analyzing nutritional data, interpreting research, and creating personalized meal plans are highly digital and data-driven, making them susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. However, the role requires significant interpersonal counseling, empathy, and clinical judgment in medical settings, which provides a buffer against full automation. |
| 18 | Environmental scientists and specialists | $80,060 | 90K | +4% | Bachelor's | This occupation involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, including data analysis, report writing, and regulatory compliance, which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the role is anchored by a physical component involving fieldwork, site inspections, and laboratory sample analysis that AI cannot currently replicate. AI will likely serve as a powerful tool for modeling environmental impacts and drafting technical documents, increasing individual productivity while leaving the physical data collection and stakeholder relationship management to humans. |
| 19 | Industrial engineering technologists and technicians | $64,790 | 75K | +2% | Associate's | This occupation involves a significant amount of digital work, such as analyzing production costs, using CAD/CAM software, and conducting statistical studies, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation. However, the role also requires physical presence on the manufacturing floor to observe workers, assess machinery performance, and evaluate physical layouts, which provides a partial buffer against full automation. |
| 20 | Health education specialists | $63,000 | 72K | +4% | Bachelor's | A significant portion of the role involves digital knowledge work such as analyzing community health data, writing grant proposals, and creating educational materials, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the core requirements of community advocacy, empathetic interpersonal interaction, and physical presence for local events and training provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 21 | Civil engineering technologists and technicians | $64,200 | 65K | +2% | Associate's | This occupation is a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical field work. While AI and advanced CAD software are significantly automating drafting, cost estimation, and data analysis tasks, the role still requires physical site visits, material testing, and real-world inspections that AI cannot currently perform. |
| 22 | Craft and fine artists | $56,260 | 52K | +0% | Varies | This occupation is a hybrid of physical craftsmanship and digital creation. While craft artists (potters, glassblowers) and sculptors have low exposure due to the physical nature of their work, digital artists and illustrators face very high exposure as AI can now generate high-quality imagery and complex designs from text prompts. The overall score reflects this split, as AI significantly impacts the commercial and digital segments of the field while leaving traditional physical mediums largely intact. |
| 23 | Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers | $103,600 | 47K | -10% | HS diploma | The core tasks of monitoring data, adjusting power flows, and responding to system abnormalities are increasingly digital and data-driven, making them highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and smart-grid optimization. While the high-stakes nature of power infrastructure and the need for physical equipment inspections provide a buffer, the BLS already projects a 10% decline in employment due to technological advances and automated control rooms. |
| 24 | Private detectives and investigators | $52,370 | 44K | +6% | HS diploma | The occupation is a hybrid of digital research and physical field work. AI significantly enhances the digital aspects—such as background checks, social media analysis, and report writing—making investigators much more productive, but the core requirements of physical surveillance, in-person interviews, and undercover store work provide a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 25 | Archivists, curators, and museum workers | $57,100 | 40K | +6% | Varies | This occupation is a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical preservation. AI will significantly automate archival tasks like cataloging, metadata generation, and electronic record management, while also assisting curators with research and exhibit design. However, the physical requirements of handling artifacts, restoring delicate items, and managing in-person public interactions provide a substantial buffer against full automation. |
| 26 | Environmental engineers | $104,170 | 39K | +4% | Bachelor's | Environmental engineering involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, including data analysis, system design, and report writing, which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the role is insulated by the necessity for physical site inspections, regulatory compliance monitoring in the field, and the legal accountability associated with Professional Engineer (PE) licensure. |
| 27 | Agricultural and food scientists | $78,770 | 39K | +6% | Bachelor's | This occupation involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, including data analysis, research synthesis, and report writing, which are highly susceptible to AI enhancement. However, the role is anchored by physical requirements such as field sampling, laboratory experiments, and on-site inspections at farms or processing plants that AI cannot currently replicate. |
| 28 | Chemical engineers | $121,860 | 22K | +3% | Bachelor's | Chemical engineering involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, including process simulation, CAD design, and data analysis, which are highly susceptible to AI-driven optimization. However, the role is anchored by the need for physical presence in laboratories and industrial plants to monitor equipment, ensure safety compliance, and troubleshoot hardware in the real world. |
| 29 | Microbiologists | $87,330 | 21K | +4% | Bachelor's | Microbiologists have a high exposure to AI because a significant portion of their work involves data analysis, pattern recognition in genetic sequences, and technical reporting—all areas where AI is rapidly advancing. However, the physical requirement to conduct laboratory experiments, maintain biological cultures, and collect field samples provides a substantial buffer against full automation. |
| 30 | Petroleum engineers | $141,280 | 20K | +1% | Bachelor's | Petroleum engineering involves significant digital knowledge work, such as reservoir modeling, data analysis, and drilling simulation, which are highly susceptible to AI-driven optimization and automation. However, the role remains anchored by the necessity of physical site visits to remote or offshore locations to oversee equipment installation and troubleshoot real-world mechanical issues that AI cannot physically address. |
| 31 | Emergency management directors | $86,130 | 13K | +3% | Bachelor's | The role involves significant digital knowledge work, such as analyzing hazards, drafting complex response plans, and managing federal funding applications, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the core of the job requires high-stakes real-time decision-making, physical presence at command centers during disasters, and intense interpersonal coordination with government officials and the public, providing a buffer against full automation. |
| 32 | Mining and geological engineers | $101,020 | 7K | +1% | Bachelor's | Mining and geological engineering involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, including mine design, technical reporting, and data analysis, which are highly susceptible to AI-driven productivity gains. However, the role also requires substantial physical presence for site evaluations, safety inspections, and supervising construction in remote, unpredictable environments, which provides a buffer against full automation. |
| 33 | Hydrologists | $92,060 | 6K | +0% | Bachelor's | Hydrologists have a high exposure to AI because a significant portion of their work involves data analysis, computer modeling, and report writing—tasks where AI is rapidly advancing. However, the physical requirement of field work, such as collecting water samples and measuring streamflow in remote locations, provides a substantial buffer against full automation. |
| 34 | Genetic counselors | $98,910 | 4K | +9% | Master's | Genetic counselors perform high-level knowledge work, including analyzing complex DNA data and medical histories, which is highly susceptible to AI optimization. However, the core of the role involves providing psychological support and navigating sensitive ethical decisions with patients, requiring a level of empathy and human connection that limits full automation. |
| 35 | Agricultural engineers | $84,630 | 2K | +6% | Bachelor's | Agricultural engineering is a hybrid role that combines digital design and data analysis with physical site visits and hardware testing. While AI will significantly automate core tasks like CAD modeling, environmental simulation, and precision farming data analysis, the requirement for physical oversight of construction, equipment testing in the field, and real-world troubleshooting provides a buffer against full automation. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | $57,440 | 2.2M | +4% | Postsecondary | While the core task of driving is physical and occurs in a complex real-world environment, it is a primary target for autonomous vehicle AI, which could eventually automate long-haul highway segments. However, the job still requires significant physical presence for non-driving tasks like securing cargo, conducting inspections, and navigating 'last-mile' urban environments that remain challenging for current AI. |
| 2 | Security guards and gambling surveillance officers | $38,390 | 1.3M | +0% | HS diploma | The occupation is a hybrid of physical presence and digital monitoring. While AI-powered computer vision is rapidly automating the 'surveillance' and 'monitoring' aspects of the job, the core requirements of physical patrolling, detaining suspects, and responding to real-world emergencies provide a significant barrier to full automation. |
| 3 | Physicians and surgeons | $239,200 | 839K | +3% | Doctoral | Physicians and surgeons have moderate exposure because while AI can significantly automate digital tasks like diagnostic image interpretation (radiology), medical history analysis, and treatment planning, the core of the job requires physical presence, manual dexterity for procedures, and complex interpersonal communication. The high-stakes nature of medical liability and the need for human empathy in patient care provide a natural barrier to full automation, though AI will drastically increase productivity in information-heavy specialties. |
| 4 | Quality control inspectors | $47,460 | 598K | +0% | HS diploma | This occupation is a hybrid of physical inspection and data analysis. While AI-powered computer vision systems are rapidly automating the visual detection of defects, the role still requires significant physical presence to handle materials, operate manual gauges, and perform mechanical tests that robots cannot yet fully replicate in diverse manufacturing environments. |
| 5 | Special education teachers | $64,270 | 560K | -1% | Bachelor's | AI will significantly streamline the digital and administrative aspects of the role, such as drafting Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), adapting lesson plans, and tracking student data. However, the core of the job requires intense physical presence, emotional intelligence, and real-time behavioral management for students with complex disabilities, which AI cannot replicate. |
| 6 | Construction managers | $106,980 | 550K | +9% | Bachelor's | Construction management is a hybrid role that combines digital knowledge work—such as cost estimation, scheduling, and contract analysis—with essential physical presence. While AI can significantly automate budgeting and logistical planning, the core of the job requires real-world site inspections, physical problem-solving, and high-stakes interpersonal negotiation with tradesworkers and inspectors that cannot be replicated digitally. |
| 7 | Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors | $59,190 | 484K | +17% | Master's | This occupation is a mix of high-level knowledge work and intense interpersonal interaction. While AI can significantly assist with digital tasks like documentation, treatment planning, and monitoring progress, the core of the job requires human empathy, crisis intervention, and the navigation of complex emotional and physical environments that AI cannot yet replicate. |
| 8 | Social and human service assistants | $45,120 | 450K | +6% | HS diploma | This occupation is a hybrid of digital administrative work and high-touch interpersonal service. AI can significantly automate the 'knowledge work' components, such as researching community resources, assisting with complex benefit applications, and coordinating service schedules. However, the core of the job requires physical presence in homes or clinics and deep emotional intelligence to support clients in crisis, which provides a substantial buffer against full automation. |
| 9 | Taxi drivers, shuttle drivers, and chauffeurs | $36,660 | 448K | +9% | No formal | While the core task of driving is highly susceptible to automation through autonomous vehicle technology (AI), the job currently requires significant physical presence for tasks like loading luggage, assisting passengers with disabilities, and performing vehicle maintenance. The transition to fully driverless fleets faces regulatory and technical hurdles in complex environments, but the long-term trajectory for this digital-adjacent physical task is one of high potential displacement. |
| 10 | Administrative services and facilities managers | $106,880 | 423K | +4% | Bachelor's | This occupation is a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical site management. While AI can significantly automate administrative tasks like recordkeeping, supply procurement, and energy pattern analysis, the role requires a physical presence to inspect facilities, oversee manual labor (janitors, repair workers), and manage real-world safety and security compliance. |
| 11 | Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners | $132,050 | 383K | +35% | Master's | This occupation involves a significant amount of high-level knowledge work, such as diagnosing conditions and analyzing test results, which is highly susceptible to AI assistance. However, the core of the job requires physical presence for exams, procedures (like delivering babies or administering anesthesia), and complex interpersonal communication that provides a strong buffer against full automation. |
| 12 | Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians | $61,890 | 351K | +2% | Bachelor's | This occupation is a hybrid of physical laboratory work and digital data analysis. While AI and computer vision are rapidly automating the interpretation of slides and test results (high exposure), the physical requirements of preparing specimens, maintaining complex hardware, and interacting with patients provide a significant barrier to full automation. |
| 13 | Pharmacists | $137,480 | 335K | +5% | Doctoral | Pharmacists face moderate exposure because their core knowledge-based tasks—checking drug interactions, verifying dosages, and analyzing patient records—are highly susceptible to AI automation and digital optimization. However, the role remains anchored by physical requirements such as administering immunizations, performing clinical rounds, and providing real-time, empathetic patient counseling that requires human trust and physical presence. |
| 14 | Speech-language pathologists | $95,410 | 187K | +15% | Master's | Speech-language pathology involves a significant amount of digital-adjacent work, such as analyzing speech patterns, documenting progress, and developing treatment plans, all of which are highly susceptible to AI enhancement. However, the core of the job requires physical presence for swallowing therapy, real-time interpersonal coaching, and high-stakes clinical judgment that limits full automation. |
| 15 | Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians | $78,900 | 164K | +12% | Varies | This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital knowledge work. While AI can significantly automate data analysis, report writing, and regulatory cross-referencing, the core duties require physical inspections of worksites, manual testing with specialized equipment, and real-time human interaction to conduct safety trainings and emergency investigations. |
| 16 | Physician assistants | $133,260 | 163K | +20% | Master's | Physician assistants perform a mix of high-level knowledge work and physical clinical tasks. While AI will significantly augment diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and administrative documentation, the role requires physical presence for examinations, surgical procedures, and hands-on treatments like stitching wounds, as well as complex interpersonal counseling that is difficult to automate. |
| 17 | Airline and commercial pilots | $198,100 | 155K | +4% | Varies | The occupation is a hybrid of high-level digital information processing and critical physical presence. While AI and advanced automation can handle navigation, flight planning, and system monitoring, the role requires real-time human intervention for physical emergencies, complex sensory awareness in unpredictable weather, and the legal/ethical responsibility of passenger safety in the physical world. |
| 18 | Construction and building inspectors | $72,120 | 148K | -1% | HS diploma | The occupation is a hybrid of physical site visits and digital knowledge work. AI and computer vision can significantly automate the 'plans examiner' and report-writing functions, while remote inspection technology is already projected to reduce labor demand. However, the core requirement for physical presence to navigate tight spaces, use manual testing equipment, and verify real-world conditions provides a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 19 | Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | $58,260 | 132K | -7% | HS diploma | The occupation is a hybrid of physical labor and digital monitoring, with AI and advanced automation already contributing to a projected 7% decline in employment. While AI can optimize chemical dosing, analyze sensor data, and manage complex system flows, the role still requires physical presence for equipment maintenance, manual sampling, and emergency response to mechanical failures. |
| 20 | Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | $77,180 | 94K | +1% | Associate's | This occupation involves a significant amount of physical labor, such as assembling prototypes, soldering circuitry, and repairing hardware, which provides a buffer against full automation. However, a substantial portion of the role involves digital tasks like drafting schematics, analyzing test data, and writing technical reports—all areas where AI is becoming highly proficient. AI will likely augment their troubleshooting capabilities and automate the documentation aspects of the job, increasing individual productivity but potentially reducing overall demand. |
| 21 | Rehabilitation counselors | $46,110 | 92K | +1% | Master's | Rehabilitation counseling involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, such as developing rehabilitation plans, maintaining records, and researching resources, which are highly susceptible to AI assistance. However, the core of the profession relies on high-stakes interpersonal interaction, empathy, and physical advocacy for clients with disabilities, creating a natural barrier to full automation. |
| 22 | Preschool and childcare center directors | $56,270 | 90K | -3% | Bachelor's | This role is a hybrid of administrative knowledge work and high-stakes physical presence. While AI can significantly automate digital tasks like budgeting, scheduling, and curriculum planning, the core of the job involves physical facility oversight, staff supervision, and building trust-based relationships with parents and children that cannot be replicated by AI. |
| 23 | Diagnostic medical sonographers | $89,340 | 90K | +13% | Associate's | The occupation is a hybrid of physical and digital work; while AI is rapidly advancing in image analysis and diagnostic assistance, the role requires significant physical presence to position patients and manipulate transducers with high hand-eye coordination. Furthermore, the interpersonal aspect of patient care and the real-time physical adjustments needed during a scan provide a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 24 | Biological technicians | $52,000 | 83K | +3% | Bachelor's | The role is a hybrid of physical laboratory work and digital data analysis. While AI can significantly automate data interpretation, report writing, and experimental modeling, the core duties involve manual tasks like setting up equipment, preparing biological samples, and conducting physical experiments that require a human presence in a lab or field environment. |
| 25 | Marriage and family therapists | $63,780 | 78K | +13% | Master's | While the work is increasingly digital via telehealth and involves significant information processing, the core value of therapy lies in human-to-human empathy, trust, and the navigation of complex interpersonal dynamics. AI will likely automate administrative tasks and provide diagnostic support, but the high-stakes emotional nature of family and marriage counseling provides a significant barrier to full automation. |
| 26 | Dental and ophthalmic laboratory technicians and medical appliance technicians | $45,820 | 67K | -1% | HS diploma | This occupation is a hybrid of physical craftsmanship and digital design, with AI and automation already driving a projected decline in dental technician roles. While the physical assembly, polishing, and repair of medical devices require manual dexterity, the 'knowledge' phase of the job—interpreting prescriptions and designing appliances—is rapidly shifting toward AI-integrated CAD/CAM software and 3D printing. |
| 27 | Surveying and mapping technicians | $51,940 | 59K | +5% | HS diploma | This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital data processing. While AI and automation (via drones and GIS software) significantly enhance data analysis, map creation, and calculation tasks, the role still requires a physical presence to navigate rugged terrain, set markers, and operate equipment in the real world. |
| 28 | Chemical technicians | $57,790 | 57K | +4% | Associate's | The role is a hybrid of physical laboratory work and digital data analysis. While AI can significantly automate the compilation of results, report generation, and predictive modeling of chemical properties, the core duties of setting up equipment, preparing physical solutions, and maintaining laboratory instruments require a human presence in a physical environment. |
| 29 | Surveyors | $72,740 | 56K | +4% | Bachelor's | Surveying is a hybrid occupation that combines significant physical fieldwork with digital data processing. While AI and automation (via drones and GIS) are rapidly increasing productivity in the mapping and analysis phases, the core requirements of physical site visits, navigating rugged terrain, and providing legally certified human testimony in court create a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 30 | Lodging managers | $68,130 | 52K | +3% | HS diploma | Lodging managers perform a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical site management. While AI can automate back-office tasks like revenue management, dynamic pricing, and staff scheduling, the core role requires physical inspections of facilities and high-stakes interpersonal conflict resolution with guests and staff that cannot be fully digitized. |
| 31 | Concierges | $37,320 | 46K | +2% | HS diploma | The role is a hybrid of digital information processing and physical hospitality. While AI can automate core tasks like making reservations, providing local recommendations, and answering emails, the job still requires a physical presence for greeting guests, handling packages, and providing high-touch interpersonal service that is central to the luxury and residential experience. |
| 32 | Entertainment and recreation managers | $77,180 | 43K | +8% | Bachelor's | This role involves a significant amount of digital knowledge work, such as budgeting, scheduling, and strategic planning, which is highly susceptible to AI optimization. However, the core of the job requires physical presence to inspect facilities, manage real-time emergencies, and provide high-touch interpersonal leadership and customer service in physical environments like parks and fitness centers. |
| 33 | Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | $68,730 | 38K | +0% | Associate's | This occupation is a hybrid of digital knowledge work and physical labor. While AI can significantly automate digital tasks like 3D modeling, data analysis, and cost estimation, the role still requires a substantial physical presence for assembling parts, setting up vehicle crash tests, and operating machinery like lathes and grinders. |
| 34 | Geoscientists | $99,240 | 25K | +3% | Bachelor's | Geoscientists have a balanced mix of physical and digital work. While AI is highly effective at analyzing seismic data, GIS mapping, and predictive modeling, the core of the job requires physical fieldwork, sample collection in remote environments, and laboratory testing that AI cannot perform. Consequently, AI will significantly enhance their analytical productivity but cannot replace the essential physical presence and real-world data gathering required for the profession. |
| 35 | Health and safety engineers | $109,660 | 24K | +4% | Bachelor's | This occupation involves a significant mix of digital knowledge work and physical presence. While AI can assist in reviewing equipment plans, analyzing accident data, and interpreting complex safety regulations, the core duties require physical inspections of facilities, interviewing employees for investigations, and directing the hands-on installation of safety devices. |
| 36 | Forensic science technicians | $67,440 | 21K | +13% | Bachelor's | The role is a hybrid of physical evidence collection and digital analysis. While AI can significantly automate pattern recognition (fingerprints, ballistics) and statistical reporting, the job requires physical presence at crime scenes to collect samples and the human credibility necessary to testify in court as an expert witness. |
| 37 | Umpires, referees, and other sports officials | $38,820 | 19K | +6% | HS diploma | The occupation is a hybrid of physical presence and objective data processing. While computer vision and AI can already automate 'calls' (like strike zones or out-of-bounds) with higher accuracy than humans, the role still requires physical presence to manage player conduct, ensure safety, and handle real-time interpersonal disputes on the field. |
| 38 | Zoologists and wildlife biologists | $72,860 | 18K | +2% | Bachelor's | This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital knowledge work. AI significantly impacts the data-heavy aspects of the job, such as analyzing GIS data, processing camera trap imagery, and modeling population dynamics, but it cannot replace the physical requirements of collecting biological specimens, handling wild animals, or navigating remote outdoor environments. |
| 39 | Environmental engineering technologists and technicians | $58,890 | 13K | +1% | Associate's | This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital knowledge work. While AI can significantly automate data analysis, report reviewing, and regulatory compliance checks, it cannot physically collect soil and water samples, maintain field equipment, or perform on-site hazardous material disposal. The BLS already notes that automated testing is increasing productivity, which limits job growth even as the core physical tasks remain human-centric. |
| 40 | Geological and hydrologic technicians | $50,510 | 13K | +1% | Associate's | This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital data analysis. While AI and automation (like drones and remote sensors) are increasingly handling data collection and mapping, the role still requires significant physical presence for equipment maintenance, manual sample collection, and laboratory testing that cannot be fully digitized. |
| 41 | Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians | $79,830 | 9K | +8% | Associate's | This occupation involves a significant amount of physical labor, such as building test facilities, installing instruments, and maintaining hardware, which provides a buffer against AI automation. However, the role also includes substantial digital tasks like recording data, running computer simulations, and calibrating systems—areas where AI is rapidly improving and can significantly enhance productivity or automate data analysis. |
| 42 | Anthropologists and archeologists | $64,910 | 9K | +4% | Master's | This occupation is a hybrid of physical fieldwork and digital knowledge work. While AI can significantly automate data analysis, pattern recognition in artifacts, and report writing, it cannot replace the physical requirements of excavation, site surveying, and in-person ethnographic observation. |
| 43 | Nuclear technicians | $104,240 | 6K | -8% | Associate's | Nuclear technicians perform a mix of digital monitoring and physical labor, such as collecting environmental samples and maintaining hardware. While AI can significantly automate the data analysis, radiation calculation, and system monitoring aspects of the role, the requirement for physical presence in hazardous environments and the manual calibration of equipment provide a buffer against full automation. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail sales workers | $34,730 | 4.2M | +0% | No formal | Retail sales involve a mix of physical tasks (stocking shelves, demonstrating products) and interpersonal interaction that provides a barrier to full automation. However, AI is increasingly handling the information-heavy aspects of the job, such as personalized product recommendations, answering technical questions via kiosks/mobile apps, and automating inventory management and checkout processes, which reduces the total human labor required per store. |
| 2 | Registered nurses | $93,600 | 3.4M | +5% | Bachelor's | Registered nursing is a hybrid role that combines significant physical labor, such as administering treatments and moving patients, with complex interpersonal care and emotional support. While AI will heavily impact the knowledge-work components—such as patient monitoring, diagnostic analysis, and care planning—the core requirement for physical presence and human empathy creates a strong barrier to full automation. |
| 3 | Teacher assistants | $35,240 | 1.4M | -1% | Some college | Teacher assistants have moderate exposure because AI can significantly automate their administrative and instructional support tasks, such as grading, lesson preparation, and providing personalized tutoring through AI agents. However, a large portion of the role involves physical supervision, behavioral management, and assisting students with special needs or personal hygiene, which require a physical human presence that AI cannot replace. |
| 4 | Metal and plastic machine workers | $46,800 | 1.0M | -7% | Varies | The core of the work is physical and requires presence on a factory floor to handle materials and maintain machinery. However, AI and advanced automation are increasingly capable of handling the digital aspects of the job, such as CNC programming, machine monitoring, and quality inspection, which is already contributing to a projected decline in employment. |
| 5 | Material moving machine operators | $46,620 | 868K | +1% | Varies | The core of the job is physical operation of heavy machinery in dynamic environments like warehouses and construction sites, which provides a buffer against full automation. However, AI-driven computer vision and autonomous navigation are increasingly being integrated into forklifts and conveyor systems, leading to moderate exposure as these technologies augment or replace human operators in structured settings. |
| 6 | Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | $87,980 | 836K | -1% | HS diploma | The role involves a significant amount of physical labor, equipment maintenance, and real-time management of biological systems that cannot be digitized. However, AI will heavily impact the management side of the job, including crop yield prediction, financial planning, and automated resource allocation, making individual managers significantly more productive and contributing to further farm consolidation. |
| 7 | Police and detectives | $77,270 | 827K | +3% | Varies | The core of the job involves physical presence, emergency response, and manual tasks like making arrests and patrolling, which are resistant to AI. However, a significant portion of the work involves digital tasks such as writing detailed reports, searching databases, and analyzing evidence, all of which are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and efficiency gains. |
| 8 | Medical assistants | $44,200 | 811K | +12% | Postsecondary | Medical assistants perform a hybrid of physical and digital tasks; while AI can significantly automate administrative duties like scheduling, coding, and medical record entry, it cannot perform physical clinical tasks such as drawing blood, administering injections, or taking manual vital signs. The role requires a high degree of real-time human interaction and empathy in a physical clinical setting, which serves as a natural barrier to full automation. |
| 9 | Social workers | $61,330 | 811K | +6% | Varies | Social work involves a high degree of interpersonal interaction, empathy, and crisis management in physical environments, which provides a strong barrier against full automation. However, AI will significantly impact the profession by automating administrative tasks like case documentation, assisting in resource research, and providing diagnostic support tools for clinical practitioners. |
| 10 | Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | $62,340 | 651K | +3% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves physical tasks such as bathing, dressing, and wound care, which are currently beyond the reach of AI and robotics. However, AI will significantly impact the information-processing aspects of the job, including documenting patient care, monitoring vitals, and assisting with diagnostic reporting, leading to moderate overall exposure. |
| 11 | Bus drivers | $48,370 | 546K | +1% | HS diploma | While autonomous driving technology is a direct long-term threat to the core task of vehicle operation, the role involves significant physical and interpersonal responsibilities that AI cannot yet replicate. School bus drivers must manage student behavior and safety, while transit and charter drivers assist passengers with disabilities and handle physical luggage, creating a substantial barrier to full automation in the near term. |
| 12 | Pharmacy technicians | $43,460 | 490K | +6% | HS diploma | The role involves a significant amount of physical labor, such as measuring medications, packaging prescriptions, and interacting with patients in person, which provides a buffer against full automation. However, AI and automated dispensing systems are highly capable of handling the information-processing tasks like insurance claims, inventory management, and prescription data entry, which constitute a large portion of the daily workload. |
| 13 | Machinists and tool and die makers | $57,700 | 355K | -2% | Varies | The role involves a significant physical component, including manual dexterity, machine setup, and material handling in a factory environment. However, AI and advanced automation are increasingly capable of optimizing CNC programming, interpreting CAD designs, and monitoring machine health, which increases worker productivity and reduces the demand for traditional tool and die making skills. |
| 14 | Food service managers | $65,310 | 353K | +6% | HS diploma | While AI can significantly automate administrative tasks like staff scheduling, inventory ordering, and payroll management, the core of the job requires physical presence and real-time human interaction. Managers must physically inspect facilities for safety, handle unpredictable interpersonal conflicts with staff and customers, and perform manual labor during peak hours, which provides a strong buffer against full automation. |
| 15 | Coaches and scouts | $45,920 | 306K | +6% | Bachelor's | While AI is significantly impacting the analytical side of the job—such as processing player data, optimizing game strategy, and analyzing opponent film—the core of the occupation remains deeply physical and interpersonal. Coaches must provide real-time motivation, physical instruction, and human leadership on the field, which cannot be replicated by digital tools. |
| 16 | Radiologic and MRI technologists | $78,980 | 272K | +5% | Associate's | While AI is revolutionizing image analysis and quality control, the core of this role requires physical presence to position patients, administer contrast agents, and operate heavy machinery in a clinical setting. AI will significantly enhance productivity and image evaluation, but the physical and interpersonal requirements of patient care provide a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 17 | Career and technical education teachers | $62,910 | 240K | -1% | Bachelor's | While AI can significantly automate lesson planning, grading, and the delivery of theoretical knowledge, the core of this occupation involves supervising hands-on activities in physical environments like workshops and labs. Teaching students to safely use physical tools for trades like welding, culinary arts, or auto repair requires real-time human presence and physical intervention that AI cannot currently replicate. |
| 18 | Musicians and singers | $88,296 | 170K | +1% | No formal | While AI can generate high-quality digital music and vocals, a significant portion of this occupation involves live performance, physical presence at venues, and human-centric events like religious services and concerts. The 'human element' and the physical act of playing an instrument or singing in real-time provide a natural barrier, though AI will increasingly compete for studio/session work and background music production. |
| 19 | Gambling services workers | $35,630 | 151K | +0% | HS diploma | The occupation is a hybrid of physical hospitality and digital-adjacent information processing. While AI and automation are significantly impacting sports book writers and slot operations through online platforms and automated betting, the core of the job for dealers and managers involves physical presence, manual dexterity, and real-time human interaction to ensure a 'pleasant experience' and monitor for physical rule violations. |
| 20 | Respiratory therapists | $80,450 | 140K | +12% | Associate's | Respiratory therapy involves a significant amount of physical, hands-on patient care, such as performing chest physiotherapy, intubating patients, and maintaining equipment in real-time clinical environments. While AI will heavily assist in diagnostic analysis, ventilator setting optimization, and patient monitoring, the core of the job requires physical presence and interpersonal interaction that cannot be digitized. |
| 21 | Veterinary technologists and technicians | $45,980 | 134K | +9% | Associate's | The core of this occupation involves physical tasks that AI cannot perform, such as restraining animals, administering anesthesia, performing surgery prep, and providing emergency first aid. However, AI has significant exposure in the diagnostic and administrative aspects of the job, including analyzing lab results, interpreting X-rays, and managing patient records, which may increase individual productivity. |
| 22 | Veterinarians | $125,510 | 86K | +10% | Doctoral | Veterinary work is a hybrid of physical procedures and complex diagnostic knowledge work. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy through image analysis (X-rays/ultrasounds) and treatment planning, the core of the job requires physical surgery, manual examinations, and high-stakes interpersonal communication with pet owners that cannot be automated. |
| 23 | Opticians | $46,560 | 80K | +3% | HS diploma | The role involves a significant amount of physical, hands-on work such as measuring faces, adjusting frames with tools, and teaching patients how to insert contact lenses. While AI can automate administrative tasks and assist in frame selection via virtual try-on technology, the core requirements of physical fitting, manual repairs, and real-time interpersonal healthcare guidance provide a buffer against full automation. |
| 24 | Railroad workers | $75,680 | 78K | +1% | HS diploma | The occupation involves a significant amount of physical labor, mechanical adjustment, and real-world safety monitoring that AI cannot perform. However, core functions like train operation, scheduling, and signal management are increasingly susceptible to automation and AI-driven efficiency systems, which the BLS notes is already limiting employment growth. |
| 25 | Cardiovascular technologists and technicians | $67,260 | 65K | +3% | Associate's | The role requires significant physical presence for tasks like positioning patients, attaching electrodes, and assisting in invasive surgical procedures. While AI will heavily automate the analysis of EKG and pulmonary data, the core requirements of patient care, physical stamina, and real-time technical assistance in a clinical environment provide a strong barrier to full automation. |
| 26 | Tour and travel guides | $36,660 | 56K | +8% | HS diploma | While AI can automate the digital aspects of the job—such as researching history, planning itineraries, and providing multilingual translations—the core of the role requires physical presence and real-time human interaction. Guides must physically escort groups through unpredictable environments, manage group dynamics, and provide a personal, empathetic experience that digital tools cannot fully replicate. |
| 27 | Optometrists | $134,830 | 48K | +8% | Doctoral | Optometry is a hybrid of physical clinical procedures and high-level data analysis. AI is highly effective at analyzing retinal scans and diagnostic data to identify diseases, which will significantly augment the diagnostic process; however, the core role requires physical presence for eye exams, minor surgical procedures, and the fitting of corrective lenses, which provides a strong buffer against full automation. |
| 28 | Conservation scientists and foresters | $69,060 | 42K | +3% | Bachelor's | This occupation involves a significant amount of physical field work, such as fire suppression, planting trees, and navigating difficult terrain, which provides a natural barrier to AI automation. However, a substantial portion of the role involves data analysis, GIS mapping, and regulatory compliance—tasks where AI can significantly enhance productivity and decision-making. While AI will reshape the information-processing aspects of the job, the requirement for real-world presence and manual intervention keeps exposure moderate. |
| 29 | Environmental science and protection technicians | $49,490 | 40K | +4% | Associate's | The core of this role involves physical fieldwork, such as collecting soil and water samples and inspecting facilities, which AI cannot perform. However, AI will significantly impact the digital aspects of the job, including data analysis, the preparation of reports and charts, and the modeling of environmental impacts. |
| 30 | Agricultural and food science technicians | $48,480 | 39K | +5% | Associate's | This occupation involves a significant amount of physical labor, such as collecting biological samples, maintaining farm equipment, and operating laboratory hardware, which provides a buffer against full automation. However, AI will heavily impact the data-heavy portions of the job, including compiling test results, analyzing chemical properties, and generating reports, making technicians more productive but potentially reducing the number of workers needed for data processing. |
| 31 | Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers | $49,140 | 35K | -5% | HS diploma | The core of the job involves physical dexterity, manual repair, and hands-on craftsmanship that AI cannot replicate. However, AI and automation are significantly impacting the design and appraisal phases through generative CAD tools and automated gemstone grading, contributing to a projected decline in total employment. |
| 32 | Semiconductor processing technicians | $51,180 | 32K | +11% | HS diploma | The role involves a significant physical component, requiring presence in cleanrooms to handle wafers, maintain equipment, and perform manual inspections. However, AI and advanced automation are increasingly capable of monitoring process data, optimizing machine parameters, and performing high-precision quality control, which automates the information-processing and monitoring aspects of the job. |
| 33 | Exercise physiologists | $58,160 | 24K | +9% | Bachelor's | The role involves a significant amount of physical presence, including conducting stress tests, measuring vital signs with medical equipment, and providing hands-on rehabilitative care. While AI can highly automate the digital aspects of the job—such as analyzing medical history, processing biometric data, and generating personalized exercise regimens—the core requirement for real-time human interaction, physical assessment, and clinical supervision in a medical setting limits its total exposure. |
| 34 | Nuclear medicine technologists | $97,020 | 20K | +3% | Associate's | The role requires significant physical presence to prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals, operate heavy machinery, and physically assist or position patients. While AI will likely automate the digital aspects of the job—such as optimizing image quality, calculating dosages, and streamlining record-keeping—the core clinical and manual tasks remain insulated from full automation. |
| 35 | Radiation therapists | $101,990 | 19K | +2% | Associate's | The role requires a significant physical presence to position patients, operate heavy machinery, and provide empathetic interpersonal care during serious illness. While AI will heavily automate the digital aspects of the job—such as tumor localization, treatment planning, and dosage calculations—the physical and clinical safety requirements create a substantial barrier to full automation. |
| 36 | Fire inspectors | $75,480 | 18K | +6% | Varies | The role requires a significant physical presence for onsite inspections, evidence collection in debris, and forest patrolling, which provides a natural barrier to AI. However, AI can substantially assist with digital tasks such as reviewing building blueprints, analyzing fire scene data, and automating the documentation of code violations and legal reports. |
| 37 | Audiologists | $92,120 | 16K | +9% | Doctoral | Audiology is a clinical healthcare profession that requires physical presence for examinations, wax removal, and fitting hardware like hearing aids or cochlear implants. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy, signal processing in hearing devices, and automated testing, the core of the job involves interpersonal counseling, physical patient interaction, and complex clinical judgment that cannot be fully digitized. |
| 38 | Calibration technologists and technicians | $65,040 | 16K | +5% | Associate's | This occupation involves a significant physical component, requiring manual dexterity to adjust hardware and presence in industrial or laboratory environments. While AI can automate data recording, scheduling, and the analysis of calibration deviations, the core tasks of physical inspection, maintenance, and hands-on equipment manipulation provide a natural barrier to full automation. |
| 39 | Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians | $70,760 | 15K | +1% | Associate's | This occupation involves a significant amount of physical labor, including soldering, operating metalworking machinery, and repairing hydraulic systems, which provides a strong barrier against full AI automation. However, AI will increasingly assist with the knowledge-based aspects of the job, such as analyzing test results, interpreting complex schematics, and diagnosing faults in the very robotic systems these technicians maintain. |
| 40 | Orthotists and prosthetists | $78,310 | 10K | +13% | Master's | This occupation involves a significant amount of physical, hands-on work including patient examinations, manual measurements, and the physical fabrication or adjustment of medical devices. While AI and computer-aided design (CAD) can greatly enhance the diagnostic and design phases, the core requirements of real-time human interaction, physical dexterity, and clinical judgment in a healthcare setting provide a strong barrier to full automation. |
| 41 | Podiatrists | $152,800 | 10K | +2% | Doctoral | Podiatry is a medical specialty that requires significant physical presence for exams, manual procedures, and complex surgeries that AI cannot perform. However, AI will heavily impact the knowledge-based aspects of the role, such as analyzing X-rays, diagnosing conditions from medical history, and automating clinical documentation and administrative tasks. |
| 42 | Military careers | ? | ? | ? | ? | Military careers are a vast composite of physical combat, manual labor, and high-level digital strategy. While AI will heavily automate back-office administration, logistics, and intelligence analysis (high exposure), the core requirements of physical presence, tactical human leadership, and operation in unpredictable physical environments provide a significant buffer. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food and beverage serving and related workers | $31,040 | 5.0M | +5% | No formal | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, such as clearing tables, carrying heavy trays, and cleaning, which are difficult to automate with current robotics. However, AI is increasingly handling digital peripheral tasks like order-taking via kiosks or voice-AI drive-thrus and managing reservations, which reduces the need for human staff in front-of-house roles. |
| 2 | Cooks | $35,760 | 2.8M | +5% | Varies | The core of the job involves physical dexterity, sensory judgment (taste and smell), and real-time adaptation in a high-heat, unpredictable kitchen environment. While AI-driven automation is already impacting fast food and routine institutional cooking, high-end restaurant and private household cooking remain protected by the need for complex manual skills and human creativity. |
| 3 | Waiters and waitresses | $33,760 | 2.3M | -1% | No formal | While AI and automation are increasingly handling digital tasks like order-taking and payments via kiosks or mobile apps, the core of the job remains physical and interpersonal. The physical requirements of carrying trays, clearing tables, and providing real-time human hospitality in a dynamic environment create a significant barrier to full AI replacement. |
| 4 | Assemblers and fabricators | $43,570 | 1.9M | -1% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical manipulation, manual dexterity, and real-time adjustments in a physical environment, which provides a significant buffer against AI. While AI and robotics are increasing efficiency and automating some repetitive tasks, a substantial portion of the work—especially in complex assembly, prototyping, and custom fabrication—still requires human presence and tactile skill. |
| 5 | Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers | $42,770 | 1.5M | +8% | HS diploma | While AI and autonomous vehicle technology are advancing, the core of this job involves significant physical labor, such as loading/unloading cargo and navigating unpredictable 'last-mile' environments. AI may optimize routing and assist with sales communication, but the physical requirement to move goods from a vehicle to a customer's door remains a major barrier to full automation. |
| 6 | Agricultural workers | $35,980 | 813K | -3% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, animal handling, and operating machinery in unpredictable outdoor environments, which provides a strong natural barrier to AI. While AI and robotics are increasingly used for precision agriculture and automated harvesting, the high cost of hardware and the need for manual dexterity in varied conditions mean human workers remain essential for the majority of tasks. |
| 7 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics | $49,670 | 806K | +4% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and real-time mechanical repair in a physical environment, which provides a strong barrier against AI automation. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic capabilities and predictive maintenance software, the actual physical replacement of parts and hands-on troubleshooting remains a human-centric task. |
| 8 | Preschool teachers | $37,120 | 555K | +4% | Associate's | The core of this occupation involves physical care, emotional support, and real-time social interaction with children under age five, which AI cannot replicate. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like lesson planning, curriculum design, and progress reporting, the primary job requires physical presence and human empathy to manage safety and developmental needs. |
| 9 | Construction equipment operators | $58,320 | 540K | +4% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical operation of heavy machinery in unpredictable, outdoor environments that require real-time human coordination and manual maintenance. While AI and automation are increasingly integrated into equipment via GPS and computerized controls, the physical nature of the work and the need for on-site safety judgment provide a significant barrier to full automation in the near term. |
| 10 | Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights | $63,510 | 538K | +13% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and real-time troubleshooting in unpredictable physical environments, which provides a strong barrier against AI automation. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic capabilities and predictive maintenance scheduling, the actual repair, installation, and physical manipulation of heavy machinery still require human presence and mechanical skill. |
| 11 | Postal service workers | $57,870 | 500K | -5% | No formal | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, such as delivering parcels and navigating outdoor environments, which provides a natural barrier to AI. However, AI and advanced automation are significantly impacting the sorting and processing components of the job, while the shift toward digital communication reduces overall mail volume and labor demand. |
| 12 | Correctional officers and bailiffs | $57,950 | 406K | -7% | HS diploma | The core duties are physical and interpersonal, requiring real-time human presence to maintain security, conduct searches, and physically restrain individuals. AI exposure is limited to peripheral administrative tasks like report writing and log entry, or enhancing surveillance systems, but it cannot replace the physical oversight and intervention required in correctional and courtroom environments. |
| 13 | Dental assistants | $47,300 | 382K | +6% | Postsecondary | The core of the job involves physical, hands-on tasks such as sterilizing instruments, assisting in surgeries, and providing direct patient care that requires human presence and manual dexterity. While AI can significantly automate the administrative and digital aspects of the role—such as scheduling, billing, and preliminary X-ray analysis—the majority of the workday is spent in the physical dental operatory where AI cannot currently replace human labor. |
| 14 | Fitness trainers and instructors | $46,180 | 370K | +12% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation requires physical presence to demonstrate exercises, correct form in real-time to prevent injury, and provide high-touch motivational support. While AI can automate peripheral tasks like workout programming, nutrition planning, and social media marketing, it cannot replace the physical safety monitoring and interpersonal accountability that define the role. |
| 15 | Firefighters | $59,530 | 345K | +3% | Postsecondary | The core duties of firefighting are intensely physical and require real-time presence in unpredictable, hazardous environments where AI cannot currently operate. While AI may enhance peripheral tasks like incident reporting, equipment maintenance scheduling, and predictive wildfire modeling, the essential work of rescuing victims and extinguishing fires remains a human-centric manual task. |
| 16 | Recreation workers | $35,380 | 328K | +4% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical presence, manual instruction, and real-time interpersonal interaction in unpredictable environments like camps and community centers. While AI can assist with peripheral administrative tasks like scheduling, program planning, and creating newsletters, it cannot replace the physical supervision, safety monitoring, and emotional leadership required to manage group activities. |
| 17 | Diesel service technicians and mechanics | $60,640 | 320K | +2% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation is highly physical, requiring manual dexterity, strength, and real-time problem-solving in a hands-on environment. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic software and technical manuals used by technicians, it cannot perform the physical repairs, parts replacement, or tool manipulation that define the job. |
| 18 | EMTs and paramedics | $46,350 | 283K | +5% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves physical intervention, manual dexterity, and real-time human presence in unpredictable environments, which are highly resistant to AI. While AI will significantly assist with peripheral tasks like EKG interpretation, diagnostic decision support, and automated documentation, the physical requirements of patient transport and hands-on emergency care remain essential human functions. |
| 19 | Food processing equipment workers | $40,050 | 283K | +5% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, such as loading ingredients, cleaning machinery, and manual quality checks, which are resistant to AI. While AI can optimize recipes, monitor sensor data, and automate some equipment controls, the requirement for human presence in a physical manufacturing environment to handle unpredictable mechanical issues and sanitation limits overall exposure. |
| 20 | Telecommunications technicians | $64,310 | 268K | -3% | Varies | The core of this occupation is physical labor, including climbing towers, installing hardware, and manual troubleshooting in unpredictable environments, which provides a strong barrier against AI automation. While AI can assist with remote diagnostics, network optimization, and predictive maintenance, the physical necessity of splicing cables and mounting equipment ensures the role remains primarily human-driven. |
| 21 | Physical therapists | $101,020 | 267K | +11% | Doctoral | The core of physical therapy involves manual manipulation, physical assistance, and real-time observation of human movement in a physical environment, which AI cannot replicate. While AI can assist with administrative tasks, medical history review, and generating personalized exercise plans, the high level of physical dexterity and interpersonal empathy required limits its overall exposure. |
| 22 | Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians | $62,740 | 246K | +6% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation is highly physical, involving manual dexterity, strength, and real-world troubleshooting in unpredictable environments like farms and construction sites. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic software and predictive maintenance logs, it cannot perform the physical disassembly, repair, and reassembly of heavy mechanical components. |
| 23 | Woodworkers | $43,720 | 215K | -2% | HS diploma | The core of the job involves physical manipulation of materials, manual dexterity, and real-time sensory monitoring in a workshop environment, which are resistant to AI. While AI can optimize digital design (CAD) and CNC programming, the physical assembly, finishing, and machine maintenance require a human presence that limits overall exposure. |
| 24 | Chefs and head cooks | $60,990 | 197K | +7% | HS diploma | The core of the job is highly physical and sensory, requiring manual dexterity, real-time human leadership in a fast-paced kitchen, and the use of taste and smell. While AI can significantly assist with peripheral digital tasks like menu planning, inventory management, and recipe generation, it cannot replace the physical oversight and hands-on food preparation essential to the role. |
| 25 | Psychiatric technicians and aides | $42,200 | 183K | +16% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical tasks such as bathing, feeding, and physically restraining patients, which AI cannot perform. While AI can assist with monitoring patient behavior and automating documentation or reporting, the high requirement for real-time human presence, physical stamina, and interpersonal compassion creates a significant barrier to automation. |
| 26 | Painting and coating workers | $47,390 | 174K | +1% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and presence in industrial or repair environments, which provides a natural barrier to AI. While AI and computer vision can enhance automated spray systems and quality control sensors, the need for human workers to set up equipment, prepare surfaces, and perform manual touch-ups in unpredictable repair settings remains significant. |
| 27 | Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians | $79,140 | 161K | +5% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and real-time troubleshooting in a physical environment, which provides a strong barrier against AI automation. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic capabilities, predictive maintenance, and the interpretation of flight data, the actual repair, assembly, and FAA-regulated physical inspections must still be performed by human technicians. |
| 28 | Occupational therapists | $98,340 | 160K | +14% | Master's | Occupational therapy is a highly physical and interpersonal profession that requires real-time observation, manual manipulation of patients, and the assessment of physical environments like homes and workplaces. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks such as treatment planning, progress documentation, and medical history analysis, the core of the job involves hands-on rehabilitation and emotional support that cannot be replicated digitally. |
| 29 | Physical therapist assistants and aides | $60,050 | 157K | +16% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical, hands-on work such as massage, stretching, and assisting patients with mobility, which AI cannot perform. While AI can streamline peripheral tasks like scheduling, documentation, and exercise plan generation, the requirement for real-time human presence and physical dexterity creates a strong barrier to automation. |
| 30 | Dentists | $179,210 | 149K | +4% | Doctoral | The core of dentistry involves highly precise physical procedures, manual dexterity, and real-time patient interaction in a clinical setting, which are resistant to AI automation. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy through X-ray analysis and streamline administrative practice management, the physical requirement of performing surgery and restorative work creates a strong barrier to high exposure. |
| 31 | Surgical assistants and technologists | $62,480 | 141K | +5% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation is highly physical, requiring manual dexterity, sterile technique, and real-time presence in an operating room. While AI and robotics can assist with surgical precision or inventory management, the role remains centered on hands-on patient care and physical equipment handling that cannot be digitized. |
| 32 | Flight attendants | $67,130 | 131K | +9% | HS diploma | The core responsibilities of flight attendants are physical and interpersonal, involving safety enforcement, emergency medical response, and manual service tasks that AI cannot perform. While AI may assist with peripheral digital tasks like report writing or passenger manifest management, the role is largely defined by a physical presence required by law for passenger safety. |
| 33 | Sheet metal workers | $60,850 | 127K | +2% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and on-site installation in unpredictable construction environments, which are highly resistant to AI. While AI and computer-controlled machinery (CADD, lasers, and automated presses) are increasingly used in the fabrication phase, the majority of the work—including installation, maintenance, and complex physical maneuvering—cannot be performed by digital tools. |
| 34 | Electrical and electronics installers and repairers | $71,270 | 119K | +0% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical manipulation of hardware, manual troubleshooting in unpredictable environments, and the use of hand tools, which are highly resistant to AI automation. While AI can significantly enhance diagnostic software and predictive maintenance schedules, the physical acts of disassembling, repairing, and reassembling complex electrical components require human dexterity and presence. |
| 35 | Oil and gas workers | $52,610 | 116K | +1% | No formal | The core of this occupation involves heavy physical labor, equipment maintenance, and manual operation in unpredictable outdoor environments, which provides a strong buffer against AI. However, the industry is increasingly adopting automated drilling technologies and remote monitoring systems that improve productivity, meaning fewer human workers may be required to achieve the same output. |
| 36 | Skincare specialists | $41,560 | 97K | +7% | Postsecondary | The core of the job involves physical, hands-on treatments like facials, massages, and hair removal that require real-time human presence and manual dexterity. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like skin analysis, product recommendations, and business management, it cannot replace the tactile and interpersonal nature of the primary service. |
| 37 | Water transportation workers | $66,490 | 84K | +1% | Varies | The core of the work is physical and requires real-time presence in unpredictable maritime environments, involving manual tasks like equipment maintenance, cargo handling, and emergency response. While AI can assist with navigation, fuel optimization, and predictive maintenance for engineers, the high-stakes physical safety requirements and the need for human intervention in complex docking or mechanical failures limit overall exposure. |
| 38 | Medical equipment repairers | $62,630 | 68K | +13% | Associate's | The core of this occupation is physical and manual, requiring dexterity to handle tools, disassemble machinery, and work in tight physical spaces. While AI will significantly enhance diagnostic software, troubleshooting, and predictive maintenance scheduling, the physical act of repairing, installing, and calibrating hardware remains a human-centric task that cannot be automated by digital AI alone. |
| 39 | Community health workers | $51,030 | 65K | +11% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation is built on trust, cultural sensitivity, and physical presence within specific communities, which AI cannot replicate. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like data collection, report writing, and resource matching, the primary duties involve home visits, hands-on advocacy, and real-time interpersonal coaching for vulnerable populations. |
| 40 | Funeral service workers | $59,420 | 60K | +4% | Associate's | The core of this occupation involves physical tasks like preparing remains and transporting the deceased, alongside high-stakes interpersonal work providing grief counseling and comfort. While AI can streamline administrative duties like filing death certificates, scheduling, and writing obituaries, it cannot replace the physical presence and emotional intelligence required for funeral services. |
| 41 | Chiropractors | $79,000 | 57K | +10% | Doctoral | The core of chiropractic work is highly physical, requiring manual dexterity for spinal adjustments and real-time physical assessment of a patient's musculoskeletal system. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like medical imaging analysis, diagnostic suggestions, and administrative business management, it cannot replace the essential hands-on therapeutic interventions that define the profession. |
| 42 | Occupational therapy assistants and aides | $66,050 | 54K | +18% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical assistance, manual therapy, and real-time human interaction, such as lifting patients and guiding motor skill exercises, which AI cannot perform. While AI can streamline administrative tasks like scheduling, documentation, and billing, the primary value of the role is rooted in physical presence and empathetic interpersonal support. |
| 43 | Floral designers | $36,120 | 44K | -6% | HS diploma | The core of the job is a physical craft involving the handling of perishable biological materials and manual assembly, which AI cannot perform. However, AI can significantly assist with peripheral digital tasks such as generating design concepts for customers, managing inventory, and automating customer service for online orders. |
| 44 | Athletic trainers | $60,250 | 34K | +11% | Master's | The core duties of athletic trainers—such as applying tape/braces, providing emergency first aid on the field, and performing manual rehabilitation—require physical presence and tactile skills that AI cannot replicate. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like injury analysis, record-keeping, and designing recovery protocols, the job remains fundamentally grounded in real-time human interaction and physical healthcare delivery. |
| 45 | Stationary engineers and boiler operators | $75,190 | 33K | +2% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical maintenance, manual repairs, and hands-on troubleshooting of heavy mechanical equipment in unpredictable physical environments. While AI and automated control systems can enhance monitoring and data logging, they cannot perform the physical tasks of overhauling valves, lubricating parts, or crawling inside boilers for inspections. |
| 46 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers | $106,580 | 24K | +5% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves highly physical, manual labor in unpredictable environments, such as elevator shafts and machine rooms, which provides a strong barrier against AI automation. While AI can significantly enhance diagnostic troubleshooting and predictive maintenance through computerized control systems, the actual installation, repair, and physical manipulation of heavy mechanical components still require a human presence. AI acts as a sophisticated tool for the technician rather than a replacement for the physical work. |
| 47 | Recreational therapists | $60,280 | 16K | +3% | Bachelor's | The core of this occupation involves physical presence, manual assistance, and real-time interpersonal interaction through activities like adaptive sports, dance, and community outings. While AI can significantly assist with digital tasks like patient assessment, treatment planning, and progress documentation, it cannot replace the physical and emotional labor required to lead therapeutic interventions in person. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hand laborers and material movers | $37,680 | 7.0M | +4% | No formal | The core duties of this occupation are fundamentally physical, involving the manual movement, cleaning, and packing of heavy materials in unpredictable real-world environments. While AI can optimize logistics, routing, and inventory tracking, the physical labor itself is resistant to AI and requires advanced robotics rather than software-based intelligence to automate. |
| 2 | Home health and personal care aides | $34,900 | 4.3M | +17% | HS diploma | The core duties of this occupation are fundamentally physical and interpersonal, involving manual tasks like bathing, dressing, and lifting patients in unpredictable home environments. While AI may assist with peripheral administrative tasks like scheduling or monitoring vital signs, it cannot replace the essential human presence and physical labor required for personal care. |
| 3 | General maintenance and repair workers | $48,620 | 1.6M | +4% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and real-time problem-solving in unpredictable physical environments, which are currently beyond the reach of AI and robotics. AI may assist with peripheral tasks like diagnosing equipment issues via computer vision or managing supply orders, but the primary work of repairing buildings and machinery remains a hands-on human requirement. |
| 4 | Nursing assistants and orderlies | $39,430 | 1.5M | +2% | Varies | The core duties of nursing assistants and orderlies—such as bathing, dressing, and physically transferring patients—are highly manual and require real-time human presence in unpredictable physical environments. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like recording vital signs or scheduling, the primary work product is physical care and interpersonal support, which remains largely insulated from AI automation. |
| 5 | Childcare workers | $32,050 | 992K | -3% | HS diploma | The core responsibilities of this role—physical care, safety monitoring, hygiene, and emotional support—require a physical presence and human empathy that AI cannot replicate. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like lesson planning, record-keeping, or parent communication, the fundamental nature of the work is hands-on and occurs in the physical world. |
| 6 | Carpenters | $59,310 | 959K | +4% | HS diploma | Carpentry is a highly physical occupation requiring manual dexterity, strength, and real-time problem-solving in unpredictable physical environments. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis, material estimation, or business management, the core work of cutting, fitting, and installing materials remains resistant to automation. |
| 7 | Food preparation workers | $34,220 | 903K | -3% | No formal | The core duties are highly physical and require manual dexterity in unpredictable kitchen environments, which are difficult for AI to automate directly. While AI might optimize inventory management or scheduling, the primary tasks of washing, cutting, and preparing food remain resistant to digital replacement, though some labor may be displaced by industrial food processing automation. |
| 8 | Electricians | $62,350 | 819K | +9% | HS diploma | The core work of an electrician is highly physical, involving manual installation, repair, and navigation of complex, unpredictable physical environments like construction sites and crawl spaces. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis, diagnostic calculations, or scheduling, it cannot perform the tactile labor or real-time physical problem-solving required for the job. |
| 9 | Bartenders | $33,530 | 757K | +6% | No formal | The core of bartending involves physical manipulation of objects, manual cleaning, and real-time social interaction in a physical environment. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like inventory management or automated ordering, the primary value of the role lies in human presence, physical service, and the social 'hospitality' aspect which remains difficult to automate. |
| 10 | Barbers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists | $35,420 | 651K | +5% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves manual dexterity and physical interaction in a highly unpredictable environment (human hair and skin). While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like appointment scheduling, marketing, or visualizing hairstyles for clients, the physical act of cutting, coloring, and styling hair remains a significant barrier to automation. |
| 11 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | $62,970 | 504K | +4% | HS diploma | The core duties of this occupation are highly physical, requiring manual dexterity, strength, and real-time problem-solving in unpredictable physical environments like crawl spaces and construction sites. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like cost estimation, blueprint analysis via BIM, and scheduling, it cannot perform the essential hands-on installation and repair work. |
| 12 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $51,000 | 457K | +2% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation is highly physical, requiring manual dexterity, physical stamina, and real-time adaptation to unpredictable environments like construction sites or repair shops. While AI and robotics can automate routine assembly-line welding, the specialized, non-routine tasks and the need for physical presence in varied locations provide a strong barrier against AI displacement. |
| 13 | Animal care and service workers | $33,860 | 439K | +11% | HS diploma | The core duties of this occupation are physical and require real-time presence, such as feeding, grooming, cleaning, and physically training animals. AI may assist with peripheral administrative tasks like scheduling or monitoring animal health data, but it cannot replace the manual labor or the empathetic human-animal interaction required for the job. |
| 14 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $59,810 | 425K | +8% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves physical labor, manual dexterity, and real-time problem solving in unpredictable physical environments, which are highly resistant to AI. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like diagnostic software, scheduling, or energy load calculations, it cannot perform the physical installation, repair, or handling of hazardous materials required for the job. |
| 15 | Masonry workers | $56,600 | 294K | +2% | Varies | Masonry is a highly physical trade performed in unpredictable outdoor environments that require manual dexterity, strength, and real-time sensory feedback. While AI and robotics may assist with blueprint analysis or specialized brick-laying machines in controlled settings, the core tasks of navigating muddy sites, handling heavy materials, and finishing surfaces remain resistant to digital automation. |
| 16 | Bakers | $36,650 | 249K | +6% | No formal | The core duties of a baker are physical and sensory, involving manual dexterity for shaping dough and real-time monitoring of physical products in high-heat environments. While AI can optimize recipes or assist with inventory management and scheduling, the fundamental work of kneading, decorating, and handling equipment remains a physical task resistant to digital automation. |
| 17 | Dental hygienists | $94,260 | 222K | +7% | Associate's | The core of this occupation involves high-precision manual dexterity and physical procedures performed on patients in a clinical setting, which AI cannot replicate. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like analyzing X-rays or automating patient documentation, the primary work of cleaning teeth and conducting physical exams remains insulated from automation. |
| 18 | Manicurists and pedicurists | $34,660 | 210K | +7% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves high-precision physical labor, tactile sensitivity, and real-time human interaction in a physical environment. While AI can assist with peripheral business tasks like scheduling or inventory management, the primary service of cleaning, shaping, and decorating nails remains a manual task that is difficult to automate with current robotics. |
| 19 | Automotive body and glass repairers | $50,680 | 193K | +2% | HS diploma | The core tasks are highly physical, involving manual dexterity, welding, and the use of pneumatic tools in unpredictable repair environments that are difficult to automate. AI's primary impact is limited to peripheral administrative tasks like cost estimation and damage assessment via computer vision, but the physical restoration of vehicles remains a human-centric trade. |
| 20 | Massage therapists | $57,950 | 168K | +15% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation is highly physical, requiring manual manipulation of soft tissues and real-time human empathy in a physical setting. While AI can assist with peripheral administrative tasks like scheduling, marketing, and documentation, it cannot replace the tactile skill and physical presence required for massage therapy. |
| 21 | Butchers | $38,960 | 143K | +1% | No formal | The core of this occupation involves manual dexterity, physical strength, and real-time interaction with physical products in a cold, unpredictable environment. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like inventory tracking and sales forecasting, the primary duties of cutting, deboning, and handling meat are resistant to digital automation and require specialized robotics rather than AI software. |
| 22 | Phlebotomists | $43,660 | 140K | +6% | Postsecondary | The core of the job is a highly tactile, physical procedure (venipuncture) performed on human patients in unpredictable clinical settings, which is resistant to AI automation. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like data entry, sample tracking, and scheduling, the primary value of the role lies in manual dexterity and providing interpersonal emotional support to anxious patients. |
| 23 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers | $92,560 | 127K | +7% | HS diploma | The core work is highly physical, involving climbing towers, operating heavy machinery, and manual repair in unpredictable outdoor environments. While AI can assist with remote monitoring and diagnostic data analysis, it cannot perform the high-risk physical labor required to install or repair high-voltage infrastructure. |
| 24 | Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | $37,320 | 118K | +9% | HS diploma | The core duties of this occupation are almost entirely physical and manual, involving the handling, feeding, and restraining of live animals in unpredictable environments. While AI might assist with peripheral administrative tasks or diagnostic data entry, it cannot replace the physical presence and manual dexterity required for animal care, sterilization, and surgical assistance. |
| 25 | Pest control workers | $44,730 | 102K | +5% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation is highly physical, requiring workers to crawl into tight spaces, set manual traps, and apply chemicals in unpredictable real-world environments. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like route optimization, pest identification from photos, or automated billing, the primary labor cannot be performed digitally or remotely. |
| 26 | Small engine mechanics | $48,240 | 78K | +4% | Varies | The core of this occupation involves physical manipulation of mechanical components, manual dexterity, and real-world troubleshooting in unpredictable environments. While AI can assist with diagnostic software and technical documentation, it cannot perform the physical labor of disassembling engines, replacing parts, or conducting hands-on repairs. |
| 27 | Insulation workers | $50,730 | 67K | +4% | Varies | The core duties of this occupation are highly physical and require manual dexterity in unpredictable, confined environments like attics and crawl spaces. AI has minimal impact on the physical installation of materials, though it may slightly assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis or material estimation. |
| 28 | Glaziers | $55,440 | 60K | +3% | HS diploma | The core work of a glazier is highly physical, requiring manual dexterity, strength, and real-time problem-solving in unpredictable construction environments. While AI might assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis or precision measurements, the actual installation, cutting, and securing of glass in the physical world remain well beyond current AI and robotic capabilities. |
| 29 | Hazardous materials removal workers | $48,490 | 51K | +1% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation involves physical labor in unpredictable environments, such as scrubbing surfaces, constructing containment areas, and operating heavy machinery. While AI may assist with peripheral tasks like record-keeping, regulatory compliance checks, or analyzing sensor data for radiation levels, the primary work requires a physical human presence to navigate complex, hazardous sites. |
| 30 | Logging workers | $49,540 | 44K | -2% | HS diploma | The core work is highly physical, involving the operation of heavy machinery and manual labor in unpredictable outdoor environments. While AI may improve peripheral tasks like log grading through computer vision or optimize harvest planning, the physical requirements of felling and transporting timber provide a strong barrier to AI replacement. |
| 31 | Solar photovoltaic installers | $51,860 | 29K | +42% | HS diploma | The core of this occupation is highly physical, involving manual labor, climbing roofs, and using hand tools in unpredictable outdoor environments. While AI might assist with peripheral tasks like system design optimization or site measurements via computer vision, the actual installation and maintenance require human dexterity and physical presence that current and near-future AI/robotics cannot replicate. |
| 32 | Fishing and hunting workers | ? | 22K | -5% | No formal | The core duties are highly physical and take place in unpredictable outdoor environments, requiring manual labor, mechanical repair, and real-time physical coordination. AI's impact is limited to peripheral enhancements in fish-finding sonar, GPS navigation, and regulatory data processing, but it cannot replace the physical act of hauling nets, trapping animals, or maintaining vessels. |
| 33 | Dancers and choreographers | $51,022 | 17K | +5% | Varies | The core of this occupation is physical performance, athleticism, and real-time human interaction in physical spaces, which AI cannot replicate. While AI may assist choreographers with music selection or administrative tasks, the fundamental value of the work lies in the human body's movement and live artistic expression. |
| 34 | Wind turbine technicians | $62,580 | 14K | +50% | Postsecondary | The core of this occupation involves high-stakes physical labor, including climbing 200-foot towers, rappelling, and performing manual repairs in confined spaces. While AI can assist with remote monitoring and predictive maintenance diagnostics, the physical requirement to replace components and perform manual inspections in unpredictable outdoor environments provides a strong barrier to automation. |
| 35 | Forest and conservation workers | $43,680 | 11K | -5% | HS diploma | The core duties of this occupation are highly physical and performed in unpredictable outdoor environments, such as planting seedlings, clearing brush, and suppressing forest fires. While AI and remote sensing can assist with peripheral tasks like tree counting and health monitoring, the primary labor-intensive functions cannot be automated by digital AI systems. |
| 36 | Boilermakers | $73,340 | 10K | -2% | HS diploma | The core work is highly physical, involving manual assembly, welding, and repair in unpredictable and cramped environments like boilers and tanks. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis or maintenance scheduling, the primary duties require human dexterity and physical presence that current AI and robotics cannot replicate in non-factory settings. |
| # | Occupation | Pay | Jobs | Outlook | Education | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Janitors and building cleaners | $35,930 | 2.4M | +2% | No formal | The core duties of this occupation are almost entirely physical, involving manual labor in unpredictable and varied environments like schools, hospitals, and construction sites. While AI might assist with minor administrative tasks like supply ordering or scheduling, the primary work of cleaning, disinfecting, and making physical repairs remains a significant barrier to AI and robotic automation. |
| 2 | Construction laborers and helpers | $46,050 | 1.6M | +7% | Varies | The core duties of this occupation are almost entirely physical, involving manual labor, tool operation, and site preparation in unpredictable outdoor environments. While AI might assist with peripheral tasks like scheduling or specialized robotic equipment control, the vast majority of the work requires human presence, physical strength, and real-time adaptation to physical obstacles. |
| 3 | Grounds maintenance workers | $38,470 | 1.3M | +4% | Varies | The core duties of this occupation are almost entirely physical and performed in unpredictable outdoor environments, which provides a strong natural barrier against AI. While autonomous mowers or drones may assist with specific tasks, the majority of the work—such as planting, tree climbing, and complex manual maintenance—requires human dexterity and physical presence that AI cannot replicate. |
| 4 | Painters, construction and maintenance | $48,660 | 342K | +4% | No formal | The core duties of this occupation are entirely physical, requiring manual dexterity, mobility at heights, and real-time adaptation to unpredictable physical environments. While AI might assist with peripheral business tasks like estimating or scheduling, it cannot perform the labor-intensive tasks of surface preparation and paint application. |
| 5 | Roofers | $50,970 | 167K | +6% | No formal | Roofing is a highly physical occupation performed in unpredictable outdoor environments that require manual dexterity, balance, and heavy lifting. While AI might assist with peripheral tasks like drone-based inspections or material estimation, the core work of installing and repairing shingles and membranes remains entirely dependent on human labor. |
| 6 | Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers | $58,800 | 119K | +4% | No formal | The core tasks of this occupation are entirely physical, involving manual labor, dexterity, and movement in unpredictable construction environments. While AI might assist with peripheral administrative tasks or material estimation, it cannot perform the physical installation, cutting, or finishing of drywall and ceiling tiles. |
| 7 | Flooring installers and tile and stone setters | $52,000 | 112K | +6% | No formal | The core duties of this occupation are entirely physical, involving manual dexterity, heavy lifting, and real-time adaptation to irregular physical surfaces in unpredictable environments. While AI might assist with minor administrative tasks or design visualization, it cannot perform the tactile labor of cutting, laying, and finishing materials on-site. |
| 8 | Ironworkers | $61,940 | 85K | +4% | HS diploma | Ironworking is a highly physical occupation performed in unpredictable, outdoor environments and at great heights, which provides a significant natural barrier to AI and robotics. While AI might assist with peripheral tasks like blueprint analysis or site scheduling, the core duties of manual welding, bolting, and balancing on structural beams require real-time human dexterity and physical presence that cannot be automated with current or near-future technology. |
| 9 | Athletes and sports competitors | $62,360 | 19K | +5% | No formal | The core of this occupation is physical performance, manual dexterity, and real-time human presence in the physical world, which AI cannot replicate. While AI is used as a peripheral tool for performance analytics, strategy optimization, and diet planning, it does not replace the athlete's physical labor or the entertainment value of human competition. |