30% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
30 AI-Resistant Careers, Ranked by Automation Resilience (2026)
Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installer tops this list at $45,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +5.9% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
Occupations whose work is hardest to automate, meaning hands-on, in-person, or judgement-heavy, scored by NueCareer’s AI-resilience analysis of O*NET work-activity data.
- Careers on this list
- 30
- Median pay on the list
- $56,260
- Projected to grow
- 26 of 30
- Openings a year
- 701,000
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How we built this list
- Scored by NueCareer’s AI-resilience analysis of O*NET work-activity and work-context data: assisting and caring for others, physical dexterity in unpredictable settings, face-to-face contact and creative origination raise the score; routine information processing and repetitive precision lower it.
- This is a NueCareer analysis, not a BLS or O*NET published figure.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The top 30 AI-resistant careers
1. Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $45,990
- Growth
- +5.9%
- Openings / yr
- 300
- Education
- High school
Move or install mobile homes or prefabricated buildings.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $95,320
- Growth
- +6.6%
- Openings / yr
- 10,700
- Education
- High school
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.
3. First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $93,530
- Growth
- +3.4%
- Openings / yr
- 6,500
- Education
- Certificate
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $59,280
- Growth
- +3.4%
- Openings / yr
- 27,100
- Education
- Certificate
Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk.
5. Helpers--Extraction Worker
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $47,730
- Growth
- -1.7%
- Openings / yr
- 700
- Education
- High school
Help extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
6. Helpers--Electrician
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $42,670
- Growth
- +0.2%
- Openings / yr
- 6,800
- Education
- High school
Help electricians by performing duties requiring less skill.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
7. Earth Driller, Except Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $60,190
- Growth
- +2.9%
- Openings / yr
- 1,700
- Education
- High school
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
8. Segmental Paver
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $49,910
- Growth
- +3.5%
- Openings / yr
- 3,100
- Education
- High school
Lay out, cut, and place segmental paving units.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
9. Bicycle Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $42,780
- Growth
- -2.3%
- Openings / yr
- 1,600
- Education
- High school
Repair and service bicycles.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $63,190
- Growth
- +9.5%
- Openings / yr
- 81,000
- Education
- High school
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures.
11. Service Unit Operator, Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $58,160
- Growth
- +0.4%
- Openings / yr
- 4,100
- Education
- No formal credential
Operate equipment to increase oil flow from producing wells or to remove stuck pipe, casing, tools, or other obstructions from drilling wells.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $55,440
- Growth
- +5.9%
- Openings / yr
- 12,700
- Education
- No formal credential
Cover roofs of structures with shingles, slate, asphalt, aluminum, wood, or related materials.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $47,120
- Growth
- +7.3%
- Openings / yr
- 129,400
- Education
- No formal credential
Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites.
14. Wind Energy Operations Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $141,900
- Growth
- +4.5%
- Openings / yr
- 106,700
- Education
- Bachelor's
Manage wind field operations, including personnel, maintenance activities, financial activities, and planning.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
15. Tree Trimmer and Pruner
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Median pay
- $50,960
- Growth
- +3.3%
- Openings / yr
- 7,400
- Education
- High school
Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
16. Oil and Gas Roustabout
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $46,960
- Growth
- +2.5%
- Openings / yr
- 4,300
- Education
- No formal credential
Assemble or repair oil field equipment using hand and power tools.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
17. Baggage Porter and Bellhop
Personal Care and Service
- Median pay
- $37,080
- Growth
- -1.6%
- Openings / yr
- 4,600
- Education
- High school
Handle baggage for travelers at transportation terminals or for guests at hotels or similar establishments.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $61,800
- Growth
- +2.4%
- Openings / yr
- 10,600
- Education
- High school
Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings.
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $59,850
- Growth
- +3.6%
- Openings / yr
- 41,900
- Education
- High school
Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erec…
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $49,400
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings / yr
- 28,100
- Education
- No formal credential
Paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structural surfaces, using brushes, rollers, and spray guns.
21. Stone Cutter and Carver, Manufacturing
Production
- Median pay
- $46,170
- Growth
- +6.2%
- Openings / yr
- 5,500
- Education
- High school
Cut or carve stone according to diagrams and patterns.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
22. Agricultural Equipment Operator
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Median pay
- $41,730
- Growth
- +7.7%
- Openings / yr
- 10,500
- Education
- No formal credential
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
23. Rotary Drill Operator, Oil and Gas
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $67,890
- Growth
- +0.2%
- Openings / yr
- 1,200
- Education
- No formal credential
Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
24. First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Median pay
- $58,430
- Growth
- +2.3%
- Openings / yr
- 23,200
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
25. Stonemason
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $57,390
- Growth
- -3.0%
- Openings / yr
- 800
- Education
- High school
Build stone structures, such as piers, walls, and abutments.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
26. Helpers--Pipelayer, Plumber, Pipefitter, and Steamfitter
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $42,360
- Growth
- +4.9%
- Openings / yr
- 4,900
- Education
- High school
Help plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, or pipelayers by performing duties requiring less skill.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Median pay
- $39,150
- Growth
- +3.6%
- Openings / yr
- 158,200
- Education
- No formal credential
Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment.
28. Commercial Diver
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $72,990
- Growth
- +8.5%
- Openings / yr
- 400
- Education
- Certificate
Work below surface of water, using surface-supplied air or scuba equipment to inspect, repair, remove, or install equipment and structures.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
29. Plasterer and Stucco Mason
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $57,660
- Growth
- +4.1%
- Openings / yr
- 1,900
- Education
- No formal credential
Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
30. Glazier
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $57,080
- Growth
- +3.3%
- Openings / yr
- 5,100
- Education
- High school
Install glass in windows, skylights, store fronts, and display cases, or on surfaces, such as building fronts, interior walls, ceilings, and tabletops.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
AI-Resistant Careers: FAQ
What is the top career on the AI-resistant careers list?
Manufactured Building and Mobile Home Installer leads the list with a median wage of $45,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +5.9% over 2024–2034. Typical entry-level education is high school.
How was this list put together?
Occupations whose work is hardest to automate, meaning hands-on, in-person, or judgement-heavy, scored by NueCareer’s AI-resilience analysis of O*NET work-activity data. Scored by NueCareer’s AI-resilience analysis of O*NET work-activity and work-context data: assisting and caring for others, physical dexterity in unpredictable settings, face-to-face contact and creative origination raise the score; routine information processing and repetitive precision lower it. This is a NueCareer analysis, not a BLS or O*NET published figure. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET 30.3 Database.
How much do AI-resistant careers pay?
Across the 30 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $56,260 a year, from $37,080 at the bottom to $141,900 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
29 of the 30 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034).