AI JOB RISK SCANNER
O*NET-SOC 29-2055.00 / model V11 rated-task engine

Will AI replace
Surgical Technologists?

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

Estimated AI task exposure
20%

Low-Moderate exposure

V11 weights occupation tasks using O*NET Importance, Relevance and Frequency ratings instead of treating every task equally.

18 tasks have usable Task Rating records; weighted-task coverage is 100%.

Digital/info work

35/100

Physical moat

56/100

Human moat

29/100

Rating coverage

100%

18 task statements / 18 rated

Highest-weighted occupation tasks

Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
Importance 100/100Relevance 100/100Frequency 92/100Weight 0.98
Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
Importance 100/100Relevance 100/100Frequency 91/100Weight 0.98
Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
Importance 98/100Relevance 100/100Frequency 93/100Weight 0.98
Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
Importance 96/100Relevance 100/100Frequency 90/100Weight 0.96
Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
Importance 98/100Relevance 96/100Frequency 92/100Weight 0.95
Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
Importance 93/100Relevance 97/100Frequency 90/100Weight 0.94
Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
Importance 94/100Relevance 96/100Frequency 88/100Weight 0.93
Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
Importance 91/100Relevance 100/100Frequency 82/100Weight 0.92
Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
Importance 94/100Relevance 94/100Frequency 78/100Weight 0.90
Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
Importance 86/100Relevance 96/100Frequency 74/100Weight 0.87

Task weighting

Each rated task receives a composite weight: 38% relevance, 37% importance and 25% frequency. Core tasks receive a small additional multiplier. Low-precision rows flagged by O*NET for suppression are excluded.

Occupation scoring

When rating coverage is strong, rated tasks contribute 60% of the digital, physical and human task signals and Work Activities contribute 40%. Lower-coverage occupations automatically rely more on Work Activities.

U.S. labor market

BLS Wage & Employment Outlook

Median annual wage

$64,650

BLS OEWS May 2025

National employment

117,460

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+5.0%

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Average annual openings

7

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

BLS labor-market figures are separate from the site's AI-exposure model. Missing values mean a compatible detailed BLS occupation estimate was not published or could not be mapped.

Career pivot radar

Safer Career Alternatives

These options are selected from the same 923-occupation model. They favor a similar task/work profile with meaningfully lower estimated AI exposure. They are suggestions for exploration, not guarantees of job fit.

SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Bicycle Repairers

5%

15 points lower exposure • 89% profile similarity

Median wage: $42,780 Growth 2025–2035: -5.7% Annual openings: 1

more physical-world work, lower AI leverage
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Hydroelectric Production Managers

10%

10 points lower exposure • 93% profile similarity

Median wage: $126,060 Growth 2025–2035: +2.6% Annual openings: 17

stronger human/judgment moat, more physical-world work
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Butchers and Meat Cutters

5%

15 points lower exposure • 88% profile similarity

Median wage: $40,140 Growth 2025–2035: +2.4% Annual openings: 15

more physical-world work, lower AI leverage
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Millwrights

5%

15 points lower exposure • 90% profile similarity

Median wage: $65,700 Growth 2025–2035: +0.9% Annual openings: 3

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers

5%

15 points lower exposure • 88% profile similarity

Median wage: $56,210 Growth 2025–2035: +4.4% Annual openings: 1

more physical-world work
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Chefs and Head Cooks

12%

8 points lower exposure • 93% profile similarity

Median wage: $62,470 Growth 2025–2035: +6.6% Annual openings: 25

stronger human/judgment moat, more physical-world work

Personalized career defense protocol

AI-Proofing Plan

AUTOMATE

    AUGMENT

    • administrative support tasks
    • planning and documentation

    PROTECT

    • physical-world execution
    • on-site troubleshooting
    • dexterity and equipment interaction

    LEARN

    • AI-assisted diagnostics
    • digital documentation
    • basic AI literacy

    AI-PROOFING RESOURCES

    What this score does not mean

    The percentage is a comparative task-exposure index. It is not the probability that this occupation disappears, that a worker is laid off, or that AI can perform the entire job.

    New in V11

    Find a Safer Career Path

    High exposure does not mean starting over. V11 compares your occupation with the other 922 O*NET occupations and surfaces lower-exposure options with similar work profiles.

    EXPLORE CAREER ALTERNATIVES
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