AI proof jobs paying $40,000 to $60,000
Median annual pay from $40,000 up to $60,000, outside the exposed band, ranked from the lowest exposed share upward. Release v2026.Q3, capability reference date 2026-09-15, built on O*NET 31.0.
The middle of the pay scale is where most people actually work, and where the choice between two similar jobs can turn on how much of each a machine can do.
| # | Occupation | Exposed | Assisted | Median pay | Rank of 923 | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stonemasons | 0.0% | 0.0% | $57,390 | 922 | untouched |
| 2 | Plasterers and Stucco Masons | 0.0% | 0.0% | $57,660 | 921 | untouched |
| 3 | Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | 0.0% | 0.0% | $40,470 | 920 | untouched |
| 4 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 0.0% | 0.0% | $40,130 | 918 | untouched |
| 5 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 0.5% | 0.7% | $46,960 | 917 | untouched |
| 6 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 0.8% | 1.9% | $57,020 | 915 | untouched |
| 7 | Tire Builders | 1.0% | 0.5% | $57,390 | 913 | untouched |
| 8 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | 1.1% | 0.5% | $48,110 | 912 | untouched |
| 9 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 1.2% | 2.0% | $50,260 | 911 | untouched |
| 10 | Floor Sanders and Finishers | 1.2% | 2.5% | $50,440 | 910 | untouched |
| 11 | Helpers--Roofers | 1.3% | 1.9% | $44,160 | 909 | untouched |
| 12 | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | 1.4% | 2.7% | $53,340 | 908 | untouched |
| 13 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | 1.5% | 2.0% | $56,460 | 907 | untouched |
| 14 | Rock Splitters, Quarry | 1.6% | 1.4% | $48,740 | 906 | untouched |
| 15 | Roofers | 1.7% | 1.2% | $55,440 | 905 | untouched |
| 16 | Helpers--Electricians | 2.2% | 1.9% | $42,670 | 903 | untouched |
| 17 | Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | 2.2% | 2.4% | $58,930 | 902 | untouched |
| 18 | Helpers--Carpenters | 2.5% | 1.4% | $43,780 | 901 | untouched |
| 19 | Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 2.6% | 1.4% | $42,360 | 899 | untouched |
| 20 | Endoscopy Technicians | 3.0% | 5.4% | $48,430 | 896 | untouched |
| 21 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | 3.0% | 2.3% | $49,120 | 895 | untouched |
| 22 | Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters | 3.3% | 2.2% | $47,550 | 893 | untouched |
| 23 | Pipelayers | 3.6% | 4.1% | $49,000 | 891 | untouched |
| 24 | Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners | 3.8% | 3.0% | $46,420 | 890 | untouched |
| 25 | Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | 4.0% | 2.7% | $58,970 | 889 | untouched |
| 26 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 4.1% | 3.1% | $46,420 | 888 | untouched |
| 27 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 4.2% | 3.9% | $49,450 | 885 | untouched |
| 28 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | 4.6% | 2.6% | $46,880 | 883 | untouched |
| 29 | Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers | 4.7% | 2.3% | $47,630 | 880 | untouched |
| 30 | Fence Erectors | 4.8% | 4.3% | $47,980 | 876 | untouched |
| 31 | Glaziers | 5.0% | 3.7% | $57,080 | 875 | untouched |
| 32 | Motorcycle Mechanics | 5.0% | 4.1% | $48,580 | 874 | untouched |
| 33 | Construction Laborers | 5.1% | 3.4% | $47,120 | 871 | untouched |
| 34 | Embalmers | 5.3% | 4.2% | $58,780 | 870 | untouched |
| 35 | Locksmiths and Safe Repairers | 5.4% | 2.0% | $51,320 | 868 | untouched |
| 36 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | 5.9% | 6.8% | $58,620 | 867 | untouched |
| 37 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | 6.0% | 7.8% | $47,730 | 865 | untouched |
| 38 | Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installers | 6.0% | 3.4% | $45,990 | 864 | untouched |
| 39 | Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | 6.0% | 3.8% | $53,710 | 863 | untouched |
| 40 | Tile and Stone Setters | 6.6% | 4.7% | $55,690 | 857 | untouched |
How to read this
Exposed is the share of an occupation’s weighted task load that a generally available AI system can produce today with little structural friction. Assisted is work it can produce but cannot finish alone, because somebody has to be present, accountable, or because checking the output costs as much as doing the work. Untouched is work it cannot produce at all.
Every figure here is computed from task level ratings, and every occupation links to the page that shows its own tasks. If a rating looks wrong, the task is the level to argue at: how this is measured.
Questions about this list
What tops the list?
Stonemasons, with 0.0% of its weighted task load exposed to current AI systems, 0.0% assisted and 100.0% untouched. Release v2026.Q3.
How is this list decided?
Median annual pay from $40,000 up to $60,000, outside the exposed band, ranked from the lowest exposed share upward. Scores come from rating every standardised work activity in each occupation against a published rubric, not from rating the occupation as a whole.
Does a high score mean the job disappears?
No. Exposure is not displacement. This measures what current systems can produce and what structurally stands in the way, not what an employer will do about it.
Other cuts of the same data
Exposure is not displacement. This index measures what current systems can produce and what stands in the way. It does not forecast job losses, and it models no adoption, employment or wage effect.