Ranked by automation risk

10 jobs AI will replace first

Not every job disappears at once. These 10 professions carry the highest automation risk in the 2026 Job Risk Index: the work is rule-based, repetitive or already largely digital, which makes it the first place AI lands. The score is not a prediction of an exact year, but of how much of the day-to-day work can already be automated.

Each entry explains why the role ranks where it does, what the work looks like today, and which skills are worth building. Treat the scores as a starting point — not a verdict on your career.

Curated by G. Roman AaronReviewed 2026-08-06

01Data Entry Clerk0-2 years98/100Critical→02Bank Teller0-2 years95/100Critical→03Telemarketer0-2 years95/100Critical→04Retail Cashier0-2 years90/100Critical→05Tax Preparer0-2 years90/100Critical→06Warehouse Worker0-2 years90/100Critical→07Translator0-2 years88/100Critical→08Security Guard0-2 years87/100Critical→09Computer Network Architect0-2 years86/100Critical→10Insurance Underwriter0-2 years85/100Critical→

Worried about your own role? Every profession has a full profile with the timeline, the skills that still matter and where to pivot. Start with the most exposed jobs, or check the 20 safest jobs from AI.

Scores, timelines and demand signals come from the 2026 Job Risk Index. See the methodology. Methodology

Ranking from the dataset by a versioned rule; selection and copy reviewed by G. Roman Aaron before publication. Written with AI assistance, checked by a human. Last human audit: 2026-08-06 (G. Roman Aaron).

Data Entry Clerk

CriticalRisk score 98/100Change within 0-2 years

Data entry carries one of the steepest declines in our index: employment of 127,080 keyers is expected to drop 25.9% by 2034, in a role typically paying $41,340 a year.…

With a risk score of 98/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $41,340 · 127,080 employed · outlook -25.9% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Data validation & quality assurance, Process-automation oversight, Spreadsheet & database analysis

Sector: admin →

Bank Teller

CriticalRisk score 95/100Change within 0-2 years

A teller's day runs on repeatable transactions: verifying signatures and balances before cashing a check, taking deposits, and reconciling the cash drawer against the day's records. ATMs and banking apps…

With a risk score of 95/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $43,030 · 329,480 employed · outlook -12.9% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Financial-product advising, Fraud detection & escalation, Relationship banking

Sector: finance →

Telemarketer

CriticalRisk score 95/100Change within 0-2 years

Here the two signals point in different directions. Where AI shows up in telemarketing, observed use is largely assistive, with automation making up about 29% of it, since models tend…

With a risk score of 95/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $35,450 · 58,430 employed · outlook -22.1% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Consultative sales, CRM & pipeline management

Sector: admin →

Retail Cashier

CriticalRisk score 90/100Change within 0-2 years

At 3,089,410 workers, cashiering is one of the largest occupations in our index, and a declining one, set to lose 9.9% of its jobs by 2034; the median wage is…

With a risk score of 90/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $32,880 · 3,089,410 employed · outlook -9.9% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Customer Service, Food Safety

Sector: retail & sales →

Tax Preparer

CriticalRisk score 90/100Change within 0-2 years

The score and the outlook sit in tension. Consumer software has automated routine return preparation for two decades, and generative models push further into computing what a client owes and…

With a risk score of 90/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $54,920 · 76,480 employed · outlook +4.5% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Tax advisory & planning, Audit support & representation, Tax-software oversight

Sector: finance →

Warehouse Worker

CriticalRisk score 90/100Change within 0-2 years

Warehouse workers manually move freight, stock, and materials, often using forklifts or pallet jacks. They read work orders, sort items for recycling, and maintain storage areas. While automation is increasingly…

With a risk score of 90/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $40,240 · 2,950,280 employed · outlook +1.5% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Forklift, Warehouse Operations, Customer Service

Sector: logistics & warehousing →

Translator

CriticalRisk score 88/100Change within 0-2 years

Rendering meaning across languages while holding tone, context, and technical precision, then reconciling the words that don't cleanly carry over, is the translator's craft, and machine translation now handles a…

With a risk score of 88/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $60,170 · 52,060 employed · outlook +1.7% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Specialized legal & medical localization, Machine-translation post-editing, Terminology & quality management

Sector: creative →

Security Guard

CriticalRisk score 87/100Change within 0-2 years

Security guards perform crucial roles in protecting people and property through monitoring, patrolling, and access control. While many routine surveillance tasks are increasingly automated with cameras and sensors, guards remain…

With a risk score of 87/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $38,020 · 1,283,470 employed · outlook +0.4% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Customer Service, CPR, Excel

Sector: trades →

Computer Network Architect

CriticalRisk score 86/100Change within 0-2 years

Computer Network Architects design and implement data communication networks, including LAN, WAN, and cloud infrastructures. Their work involves network modeling, capacity planning, and security design. In observed AI interactions, 86%…

With a risk score of 86/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $134,050 · 179,740 employed · outlook +11.9% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Python, Databricks, Data Lake

Sector: technology →

Insurance Underwriter

CriticalRisk score 85/100Change within 0-2 years

Deciding which risks to accept, pricing the marginal ones, declining the unprofitable, and checking how much coverage already rides on a single exposure is analytical work that automated underwriting engines…

With a risk score of 85/100 (critical), the day-to-day runs on routine, repeatable work — exactly the kind automation absorbs first. We expect the shift to hit this role within 0-2 years.

Median salary $81,370 · 105,420 employed · outlook -2.6% (2024–34)

Skills to build next: Complex risk analysis, Underwriting-model governance, Broker & client advisory

Sector: finance →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01Will these jobs really disappear?

Not necessarily — the list ranks exposure, not certainty. A high score means much of the routine work is automatable soon; roles can still survive when workers take on the higher-value parts.

02How is the risk score calculated?

Each profession scores 0–100 based on how much of its day-to-day tasks automation could absorb, built from O*NET task data, BLS employment figures and Anthropic’s AI exposure research. See the methodology for the full model.

03Should I quit if my job is on this list?

No. Use the score as a planning signal: read the timeline, build the skills listed on the profile, and keep an eye on live demand data — most roles change shape before they disappear.