65 Jobs with the Lowest Risk of Automation by Artificial Intelligence

By: U.S. Career Institute

August 2026

Will artificial intelligence (AI) take your job? For some careers, the risk is certainly higher than others. Many manual, repetitive, or data-rich tasks have been augmented or even replaced by AI, including data analysis, coding, translation, and research. If you're weighing your options, it’s wise to consider a career that can't easily be replaced by AI, or at the very least, a career that will still require human intervention. Better still if that career is expected to keep growing over the next decade.

So which jobs are safest? Using automation risk scores from Will Robots Take My Job?, we compiled the 65 occupations least likely to be replaced by robots or AI. Every job on this list scored a 0.0% probability of automation, based on the skills and daily activities the work demands. We then ranked the list by projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034, using the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to show which of these careers should keep thriving in the age of AI.

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Which Jobs are Safest from AI and Automation?

The safest jobs call for qualities AI can't fake, such as:

• Emotional intelligence
• The ability to read a room
• Creative work
• High variability in day-to-day tasks

Jobs least likely to be affected by automation are commonly found in these fields:

• Healthcare: Nurses, doctors, therapists, and counselors
• Education: Teachers, instructors, and school administrators
• Creative: Musicians, artists, writers, and journalists
• Personal Services: Hairdressers, cosmetologists, personal trainers, and coaches

Which AI-Proof Job is Projected to Grow the Most?

Nurse practitioners take the top spot, and it isn't close. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 40% employment growth for nurse practitioners between 2024 and 2034, double the growth of any other job on the list. Pay is strong too, with a median wage of $129,210 per year. The trade-off is the time it takes to get there, since the role requires a master's or doctoral degree in nursing. So why is the job safe from automation? Patient care runs on trust and hands-on judgment, and those are things no algorithm can offer.

Physician assistants rank second with 20% projected growth and a median wage of $133,260 per year. Postsecondary nursing instructors and mental health counselors come next at 17% each. There’s a pattern here: nearly every fast-growing job on the list involves a human connection of some kind. Machines can handle charts, but the human side of care still requires a personal touch.

The 12 AI-Proof Jobs With the Highest Projected Growth by 2032

1. Nurse Practitioners: 40%
2. Physician Assistants: 20%
3. Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Post-Secondary: 17%
4. Mental Health Counselors: 17%
5. Occupational Therapists: 14%
6. Orthotists and Prosthetists: 13%
7. Marriage and Family Therapists: 13%
8. Nurse Midwives: 11%
9. Physical Therapists: 11%
10. Art Therapists: 11%
11. Music Therapists: 11%
12. Athletic Trainers: 11%

The 65 AI-Proof Jobs and How Much They Are Projected to Grow

	Occupation	Median Annual Wage*	Projected Growth, 2024-34*
1	Nurse Practitioners	$129,210	40%
2	Physician Assistants	$133,260	20%
3	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Post-Secondary	$79,940	17%
4	Mental Health Counselors	$59,190	17%
5	Occupational Therapists	$98,340	14%
6	Orthotists and Prosthetists	$78,310	13%
7	Marriage and Family Therapists	$63,780	13%
8	Nurse Midwives	$128,790	11%
9	Physical Therapists	$101,020	11%
10	Art Therapists	$65,010	11%
11	Music Therapists	$65,010	11%
12	Athletic Trainers	$60,250	11%
13	Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	$60,060	10%
14	Healthcare Social Workers	$68,090	8%
15	Dermatologists	$239,200 or more*	6%
16	Psychiatrists	$239,200 or more*	6%
17	Fitness and Wellness Coordinators	$61,340	6%
18	Choreographers	$55,310†	6%
19	Coaches and Scouts	$45,920	6%
20	Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers	$41,080	6%
21	Neurologists	$239,200 or more*	5%
22	Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers	$106,950	5%
23	Civil Engineers	$99,590	5%
24	Transportation Engineers	$99,590	5%
25	Advanced-Practice Psychiatric Nurses	$93,600	5%
26	Clinical Nurse Specialists	$93,600	5%
27	Critical Care Nurses	$93,600	5%
28	Soil and Plant Scientists	$71,410	5%
29	Paramedics	$58,410	5%
30	Emergency Medical Technicians	$41,340	5%
31	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons	$239,200 or more*	4%
32	Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric	$239,200 or more*	4%
33	Prosthodontists	$239,200 or more*	4%
34	Surgeons, All Other	$239,200 or more*	4%
35	Chief Executives	$206,420	4%
36	Dentists, General	$172,790	4%
37	Physicists	$166,290	4%
38	Clinical Neuropsychologists	$117,580	4%
39	Neuropsychologists	$117,580	4%
40	Security Managers	$104,690	4%
41	Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	$96,690	4%
42	Psychology Teachers, Post-Secondary	$80,330	4%
43	Hospitalists	$239,200 or more*	3%
44	Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians	$239,200 or more*	3%
45	Preventive Medicine Physicians	$239,200 or more*	3%
46	Sports Medicine Physicians	$239,200 or more*	3%
47	First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$105,980	3%
48	Anthropology and Archaeology Teachers, Post-Secondary	$95,770	3%
49	First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	$92,430	3%
50	Emergency Management Directors	$86,130	3%
51	Urban and Regional Planners	$83,720	3%
52	Landscape Architects	$79,660	3%
53	Interior Designers	$63,490	3%
54	Recreational Therapists	$60,280	3%
55	Firefighters	$59,530	3%
56	Pediatric Surgeons	$239,200 or more**	2%
57	Architecture Teachers, Post-Secondary	$101,480	2%
58	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Post-Secondary	$80,190	2%
59	Social Work Teachers, Post-Secondary	$76,210	2%
60	Set and Exhibit Designers	$66,280	2%
61	Directors, Religious Activities and Education	$54,840	2%
62	Obstetricians and Gynecologists	$239,200 or more*	1%
63	Adapted Physical Education Specialists	$67,430	1%
64	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	$104,070	-2%
65	Fish and Game Wardens	$68,180	-6%