Which jobs can AI replace? 39 jobs ranked by AI resistance
Of the 39 jobs scored so far, the most AI-resistant are dentists (83.8), plumbers (77.5) and physical therapists (76.2). The most exposed are copywriters (11.2), customer service representatives (12.5) and medical scribes (16.2). Scores run from 0 to 100, and higher is safer.
What the rankings show
- Either protection alone falls short. Welders rate 5 on physical work but 2 on licensing and score 58.8. Among the 21 jobs rated 2 or lower on physical work, the best score is cybersecurity analysts at 52.5, despite rating 4 on licensing.
- 21 of 39 jobs score below 40 (Commoditized), and 17 of those 21 rate 2 of 5 or lower on physical work.
- Resistance and hiring are different questions: data analysts score 22.5 while BLS projects +35% growth and software engineers score 30.0 while BLS projects +10% growth. Demand can rise while the share of the work AI can do rises with it.
- BLS already projects fewer jobs by 2035 for journalists, legal secretaries, photographers, IT support specialists, freelance graphic designers, medical scribes and customer service representatives.
All 39 jobs, ranked
Score from 0 to 100, higher is safer. Select a column heading to sort. BLS change is the Bureau of Labor Statistics projection for 2025 to 2035; it measures hiring demand, not AI exposure.
| 1 | Dentists | 83.8 | AI-Resistant | Licensing & liability | Automation | +6% |
| 2 | Plumbers | 77.5 | Conditionally Viable | Physical work | Judgment | +7% |
| 3 | Physical Therapists | 76.2 | Conditionally Viable | Physical work | Cost to compete | +12% |
| 4 | Electricians | 75.0 | Conditionally Viable | Physical work | Judgment | +9% |
| 5 | HVAC Technicians | 71.2 | Conditionally Viable | Physical work | Judgment | +11% |
| 6 | Structural Engineers | 65.0 | Conditionally Viable | Licensing & liability | Cost to compete | +6% |
| 7 | Civil Engineers | 60.0 | Conditionally Viable | Licensing & liability | Cost to compete | +6% |
| 8 | Construction Project Managers | 60.0 | Conditionally Viable | Physical work | Automation | +9% |
| 9 | Welders | 58.8 | AI-Vulnerable | Physical work | Licensing & liability | +2% |
| 10 | Cybersecurity Analysts | 52.5 | AI-Vulnerable | Licensing & liability | Physical work | +21% |
| 11 | Network Engineers | 51.2 | AI-Vulnerable | Physical work | Cost to compete | +8% |
| 12 | Real Estate Agents | 48.8 | AI-Vulnerable | Physical work | Automation | +2% |
| 13 | Interior Designers | 47.5 | AI-Vulnerable | Judgment | Automation | +3% |
| 14 | Pharmacists | 46.2 | AI-Vulnerable | Licensing & liability | Automation | +5% |
| 15 | Radiologists | 45.0 | AI-Vulnerable | Licensing & liability | Automation | +3% |
| 16 | Truck Drivers | 42.5 | AI-Vulnerable | Physical work | Automation | +4% |
| 17 | Insurance Agents | 41.2 | AI-Vulnerable | Trust | Automation | +3% |
| 18 | Financial Advisors | 40.0 | AI-Vulnerable | Licensing & liability | Physical work | +1% |
| 19 | Mortgage Brokers | 37.5 | Commoditized | Licensing & liability | Automation | +1% |
| 20 | Accountants & Bookkeepers | 36.2 | Commoditized | Licensing & liability | Physical work | +5% |
| 21 | Executive Assistants | 33.8 | Commoditized | Trust | Cost to compete | 0% |
| 22 | Journalists | 33.8 | Commoditized | Judgment | Cost to compete | −6% |
| 23 | Legal Secretaries | 33.8 | Commoditized | Licensing & liability | Automation | −5% |
| 24 | Paralegals | 33.8 | Commoditized | Licensing & liability | Automation | 0% |
| 25 | UX Designers | 33.8 | Commoditized | Judgment | Cost to compete | +6% |
| 26 | Photographers | 32.5 | Commoditized | Physical work | Licensing & liability | −1% |
| 27 | IT Support Specialists | 30.0 | Commoditized | Physical work | Cost to compete | −3% |
| 28 | Recruiters and HR Specialists | 30.0 | Commoditized | Judgment | Cost to compete | +6% |
| 29 | Software Engineers | 30.0 | Commoditized | Judgment | Cost to compete | +10% |
| 30 | Web Developers | 30.0 | Commoditized | Judgment | Cost to compete | +4% |
| 31 | Freelance Graphic Designers | 25.0 | Commoditized | Judgment | Licensing & liability | −2% |
| 32 | Video Editors | 25.0 | Commoditized | Judgment | Licensing & liability | +3% |
| 33 | Warehouse Pickers | 23.8 | Commoditized | Cost to compete | Automation | +9% |
| 34 | Data Analysts | 22.5 | Commoditized | Judgment | Physical work | +35% |
| 35 | Social Media Managers | 21.2 | Commoditized | Judgment | Licensing & liability | +2% |
| 36 | Translators | 20.0 | Commoditized | Judgment | Automation | +2% |
| 37 | Medical Scribes | 16.2 | Commoditized | Licensing & liability | Automation | −4% |
| 38 | Customer Service Representatives | 12.5 | Commoditized | Licensing & liability | Automation | −5% |
| 39 | Copywriters | 11.2 | Commoditized | Trust | Automation | 0% |
Strongest and weakest are the dimensions with the highest and lowest rating; ties go to the more heavily weighted dimension. Download the scores as CSV, including all six ratings.
Small-business types, ranked
The same six dimensions applied to a typical business of each kind, rather than to a job. Select a column heading to sort.
| 1 | Dental practice | 83.8 | AI-Resistant |
| 2 | HVAC company | 75.0 | Conditionally Viable |
| 3 | Roofing company | 66.2 | Conditionally Viable |
| 4 | Pizza shop | 60.0 | Conditionally Viable |
| 5 | IT managed services provider | 45.0 | AI-Vulnerable |
| 6 | Real estate brokerage | 41.2 | AI-Vulnerable |
| 7 | Recruiting or staffing agency | 35.0 | Commoditized |
| 8 | Bookkeeping firm | 33.8 | Commoditized |
| 9 | Custom ring box business | 33.8 | Commoditized |
| 10 | Marketing agency | 21.2 | Commoditized |
| 11 | Translation agency | 16.2 | Commoditized |
These scores rate a typical job of each kind. Yours depends on what you actually do all day. The free Job Safety score rates your own role on the same six dimensions in about a minute.
How the scores are calculated
Each job is rated from 1 (AI holds every advantage) to 5 (strong structural protection) on six dimensions, over a 24 to 36 month horizon. A rating contributes (rating − 1) ÷ 4 × weight, so a 1 adds nothing and a 5 adds the dimension's full weight. The weighted results add up to a score out of 100.
| Dimension | Full name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Automation Replaceability | 25% |
| Licensing & liability | Regulatory & Liability Friction | 20% |
| Judgment | Human Judgment Density | 15% |
| Physical work | Physical-World Coupling | 15% |
| Trust | Trust & Relationship Lock-In | 15% |
| Cost to compete | AI Capital Intensity | 10% |
Bands: 80 and above is AI-Resistant, 60 to 79 is Conditionally Viable, 40 to 59 is AI-Vulnerable, and below 40 is Commoditized.
What a score is not. It is not a forecast of job losses or a judgment about any one person's job. It rates how much of a typical job's work AI can structurally take over, which is why a job can score low and still be growing, and the reverse. Ratings are Dawnstar Exploration's own assessment, and each job page explains every rating and shows when it was last reviewed.
Cite this data
Dawnstar Exploration. "AI Resistance Index: jobs ranked by AI resistance." 2026-11-02. https://dawnstarexploration.com/rankings/
You are welcome to quote or chart these scores with a link to this page. The CSV has every rating.
What changed
- 2 Nov 2026 · Added 9 jobs: civil engineers, structural engineers, construction project managers, interior designers, mortgage brokers, legal secretaries, photographers, warehouse pickers and medical scribes. Warehouse pickers' cost-to-compete rating set to 4, matching truck drivers, since automating a warehouse takes real capital (score 23.8).
- 31 Oct 2026 · Added 10 jobs: web developers, UX designers, video editors, social media managers, IT support specialists, insurance agents, welders, executive assistants, journalists and physical therapists.
Questions people ask
What jobs can AI not replace?
In the AI Resistance Index, the most resistant jobs are dentists (83.8), plumbers (77.5) and physical therapists (76.2): licensed, hands-on work where a named person carries the liability. No job is immune, but these are the hardest for AI to take over structurally.
Which jobs are most at risk from AI?
The lowest scores belong to copywriters (11.2), customer service representatives (12.5) and medical scribes (16.2). These jobs are mainly text and screen work, which AI already produces cheaply, with no licence or physical presence protecting it.
How are the scores calculated?
Each job is rated 1 to 5 on six dimensions: automation, licensing and liability, judgment, physical work, trust, and the cost for AI to compete. Each rating contributes (rating − 1) ÷ 4 of its dimension's weight, and the weighted results add up to a score out of 100.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Civil Engineers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer Network Architects
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer Support Specialists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction Managers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Customer Service Representatives
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Data Scientists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dentists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Graphic Designers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Hand Laborers and Material Movers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Human Resources Specialists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Information Security Analysts
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Insurance Sales Agents
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Interior Designers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Interpreters and Translators
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Loan Officers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical Transcriptionists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Personal Financial Advisors
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pharmacists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Photographers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicians and Surgeons
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Public Relations Specialists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Web Developers and Digital Designers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Writers and Authors
Pay, job counts and projections are quoted from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook as published (May 2025 pay, 2025 jobs, 2025–35 projections). Where BLS has no category for a job, the closest category is used and named on the job page. Nothing here is financial or career advice.