AI vs. Jobs: The Workforce Shift

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the job market, from crafting resumes and cover letters to automating tasks once handled by employees. Its impact isn’t just approaching — it’s already here and will only grow stronger.

At the crossroads of technological evolution, not all jobs are equally affected. The future is divided into four distinct paths: automation, where AI takes over entire tasks; augmentation, where it works alongside humans; uncertainty, where the impact remains unpredictable; and stability, where some jobs remain untouched.

With 7% of all jobs at high risk of automation, 13% likely to be augmented, and a staggering 24% falling into the unknown, the shift is inevitable. But who will thrive, who will adapt, and who will be left behind?

Pie chart showing AI's impact on jobs: 57% no effect, 24% unknown, 13% augmentation, 7% automation.

This article aims to explore the impact of generative AI on the future of various professions. In this study, we analyzed 138,286,610 positions in the United States. Drawing on research from the International Labour Organization, occupations classified under the International Standard Classification of Occupations were matched to the classification used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to assess Gen AI's potential impact on the U.S. labor market — identifying affected occupational groups, the number of workers, and their categories.

The study classifies occupations on a scale from 0 to 1, where 1 indicates a high potential for automation.

Jobs That Can Be Replaced by AI Automation

The rise of generative AI brings a new reality — millions of jobs face the risk of automation as machines take over routine tasks once handled by humans.

Our analysis shows that 7% of all jobs (9,287,160 positions) are susceptible to automation. As technology advances, roles heavily reliant on repetitive or structured tasks may shift, with AI streamlining processes and redefining job responsibilities.

Example of Jobs With High Automation Potential

Position	Employment	Annual mean wage	Automation potential

Word Processors and Typists	37,200	$47,170	0.77
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks	119,270	$46,820	0.74
Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other	172,020	$46.620	0.72
Customer Service Representatives	2,858,710	$43,520	0.72
Tellers	340,820	$38,850	0.72
Order Clerks	91,830	$43,530	0.72
Correspondence Clerks	4,650	$46,940	0.72
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping	101,440	$48,800	0.71
Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan	160,550	$42,750	0.71
Data Entry Keyers	154,230	$40,130	0.70
Receptionists and Information Clerks	1,003,820	$36,590	0.69
Telemarketers	81,580	$36,680	0.69
Billing and Posting Clerks	430,220	$47,120	0.69
Concierges	41,020	$40,230	0.68
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	263,800	$32,570	0.68
Technical Writers	47,970	$86,620	0.68
Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks	14,290	$50,380	0.66
Brokerage Clerks	48,060	$63,130	0.66
New Accounts Clerks	41,180	$44,670	0.66
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks	241,650	$49,530	0.66
Loan Interviewers and Clerks	203,940	$48,660	0.66

Jobs labeled as having "automation potential" scored above 0.60 on the scale, with the highest reaching 0.77.

Most jobs at high risk of automation belong to the Office and Administrative Support field, making this category the most vulnerable. Many of its tasks can be automated, affecting 45% of workers — about 8.3 million people. Another 53% face an uncertain future, as AI could either assist them or replace their roles entirely. Only a small fraction will be minimally affected, with less than 1% benefiting from AI support and just 0.5% remaining untouched.

Other fields will also experience automation, though to a lesser extent. These include:

Sales and Related Occupations (4% affected)
Computer and Mathematical Occupations (2.5%)
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media (2%)
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (2%)

otably, many of the jobs most at risk of automation are among the lowest paid, earning even below the annual mean wage ($65,470). This highlights a key issue: the jobs most vulnerable to AI often offer lower salaries.

Notably, many of the jobs most at risk of automation are among the lowest paid, earning even below the annual mean wage ($65,470). This highlights a key issue: the jobs most vulnerable to AI often offer lower salaries.

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Jobs That Can Be Augmented by AI

Augmentation potential means that while some tasks can be automated, human involvement remains essential. These roles will adapt as AI takes over specific duties, but they will still require human oversight, decision-making, and expertise.

13% of all jobs, or 18,153,810 positions, will be affected by augmentation potential. A portion of the workforce will see their roles evolve rather than be replaced by AI. Workers in these positions may need to adapt by developing new skills to work alongside AI.

Example of Jobs With High Augmentation Potential

Position	Employment	Annual mean wage	Automation potential
Computer Network Architects	174,100	$133,930	0.39
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	198,780	$111,870	0.39
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	111,170	$100,400	0.39
Dietitians and Nutritionists	73,860	$71,280	0.39
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School	90070	$70810	0.39
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage	8,670	$75,660	0.39
Bailiffs	15,900	$58,460	0.39
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School	12,210	$69,020	0.39
Judicial Law Clerks	14,680	$64,880	0.39
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers	49,760	$59,440	0.39
Private Detectives and Investigators	34,600	$60,270	0.39
Legal Support Workers, All Other	43,760	$82,960	0.39
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Post-secondary	111,180	$68,300	0.39
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators	293,780	$75,770	0.39
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	354,890	$66,460	0.39
Designers, All Other	9,880	$75,960	0.38
Real Estate Sales Agents	197,720	$69,610	0.38
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists	123,30	$78,810	0.38
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	175,790	$39,040	0.38
Parking Attendants	118,130	$32,700	0.38

Positions classified with augmentation potential scored between 0.3 and 0.4.

These jobs can benefit from efficiency gains, allowing workers to focus on higher-value tasks while AI takes over repetitive duties. By offloading automatable tasks, employees can take on more strategic, creative, and human-centered responsibilities that AI cannot replicate. Unlike jobs with high automation potential, these roles are not confined to a single occupational group but instead span various fields.

Fields with a high score of augmentation potential include, e.g.:

Educational Instruction and Library Occupations (51% of workers affected)
Management Occupations (49% of workers affected)
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (42%)
Legal Occupations (37% of workers affected)
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (36% of workers affected)

Overall, in the United States, augmentation potential is twice as high as automation potential, with 13% of jobs affected by augmentation compared to 7% impacted by automation. This means that AI and automation are more likely to enhance jobs by augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them.

The Big Unknown

The future of AI’s impact on some jobs is filled with uncertainty.

Some roles may be transformed as AI enhances human abilities, driving efficiency and boosting productivity. However, specific tasks within those roles could be replaced by automation, leading to potential job displacement. The outcome depends on how industries adopt and integrate AI technologies, either enhancing or displacing human labor. This results in the "unknown" category of jobs, where the impact of AI remains uncertain.

Currently, 24% of jobs in the U.S. (around 32.6 million positions) fall into this "unknown" category. This means nearly a quarter of all jobs face an unpredictable future as AI’s impact in these roles remains uncertain, leaving us to wonder whether AI will augment human work or replace significant portions of it.

Example of Jobs with High Uncertainty

Position	Employment	Annual mean wage	Automation potential
Proofreaders and Copy Markers	5,490	$51,100	0.65
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	152,790	$56,330	0.64
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing	1,288,920	$80,490	0.63
Travel Agents	58,250	$50,040	0.63
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks	157,230	$54,690	0.62
Editors	95,700	$85,110	0.62
Medical Transcriptionists	52,420	$39,090	0.62
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	749,500	$43,380	0.61
Postal Service Clerks	78,130	$59,240	0.60
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	393,980	$57,610	0.60
Writers and Authors	49,450	$87,590	0.62
Financial Clerks, All Other	44,520	$52,690	0.59
Financial Examiners	63,440	$98,140	0.59
Interpreters and Translators	51,560	$63,080	0.59
Credit Analysts	73,200	$94,750	0.59
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	1,501,910	$49,580	0.59
Telephone Operators	4,600	$42,100	0.58
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service	43,830	$40,020	0.58
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	483,570	$73,680	0.58
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners	12,390	$71,040	0.58
Cost Estimators	220.970	$79,520	0.52
File Clerks	82,290	$40,730	0.44
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	584,630	$49,260	0.40

Some job sectors are more likely to fall into the "unknown" category than others. The most affected include:

Business and Financial Operations (96%)
Sales and Related Occupations (68%)
Office and Administrative Support (53%)
Computer and Mathematical Occupations (45%)

The uncertainty surrounding these roles is 3.5 times greater than the risk of automation (24% vs. 7%) and nearly twice as high as the augmentation potential (24% vs. 13%). This means that 32,582,180 positions face an unpredictable future — some may be transformed by AI, others augmented, and some possibly replaced. Unlike jobs with clear automation or augmentation potential, these roles could evolve unexpectedly and be influenced by AI advancements, industry needs, and policy changes.

Occupations where AI’s impact remains uncertain rank higher on the scale (04–0.65) than those with augmentation potential (0.3–0.4.). This means there is a greater likelihood that some of their tasks could be automated compared to jobs in the augmentation category.

Jobs That AI Won't Affect

Some occupations will remain largely untouched by AI, experiencing little to no impact on job security. The chances of artificial intelligence replacing human workers in these fields are minimal.

Our analysis suggests that 57% of jobs (78,263,460 positions) will remain unaffected by AI, continuing to rely on human skills, expertise, and interpersonal interactions that technology cannot easily replicate.

Example of Unaffected Jobs

Position	Employment	Annual mean wage	Automation potential
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers	49,960	$53,430	0.08
Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers	2,910	$39,820	0.08
Fence Erectors	21,470	$46,650	0.08
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	150,3150	$49,650	0.09
Bicycle Repairers	13,980	$39,360	0.09
Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other	11,980	$46,540	0.10
Woodworkers, All Other	7,830	$39,520	0.10
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners	6,170	$46,250	0.10
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	28,700	$32,340	0.11
Pharmacy Aides	43,830	$38,980	0.12
Pest Control Workers	93,760	$44,650	0.14
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	38,880	$40,860	0.17
Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity	184,990	$59,860	0.2
Bartenders	711,140	$37,090	0.22
Air Traffic Controllers	22,310	$136,790	0.3
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	158,150	$74,670	0.33
Electrical Engineers	185,430	$117,680	0.33
Software Developers	165,6880	$138,110	0.34
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health	80,730	$86,710	0.36
Fire Inspectors and Investigators	14,200	$82,510	0.37
Computer Systems Analysts	498,810	$110,800	0.37
Public Relations Specialists	275,550	$77,720	0.38

These are just a few examples, but the list goes on. These roles typically require hands-on work, manual skills, or strong interpersonal abilities — qualities that rely on human intuition, dexterity, and emotional intelligence, leaving little room for AI intervention. Jobs in this category include:

Construction and Extraction (100%)
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance (100%)
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair (99%)
Protective Service Occupations (98%)
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry (97%)
Transportation and Material Moving (91%)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (85%)

While AI may enhance some aspects of these fields, full automation remains highly unlikely. Occupations labeled as “unknown” rate between 0.08 and 0.38 on the scale, indicating little to no likelihood of automation.

As AI continues to reshape the workforce, the future of jobs isn’t set in stone—it’s happening in real-time. While some roles remove the human element from the equation and others evolve, one truth remains: adaptability will be the defining skill of the new era. The question isn’t just about which jobs will survive but how we, as a workforce, will navigate this transformation. Will we harness AI’s power to elevate human potential, or will we let automation dictate the fate of millions?

Limitations

Since these classification systems (ISCO-08 to SOC 2018) are not fully compatible, some occupations overlap across multiple categories.

Matching quality:

80% of the data had a direct 1:1 match.
The remaining 20% covered multiple occupations.

Fair Use Statement

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