Short answer
Very unlikely. BLS rates bussers among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do.
AI and jobs
Will AI Replace Bussers? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places bussers in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +5.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 95,300 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- LowBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 60/100Higher than 85% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +5.3%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 95,300BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed bussers are to AI
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a relative AI exposure category for each occupation it projects, built from five public measures of where AI could be, or already is, used to assist with or complete the work. Bussers land in the low category: among the occupations least exposed to current AI.
Where this job sits on the BLS scale
786 occupations in the NueCareer bank, in BLS's four relative categories; width shows how many fall in each
- Low · this job203 occupations · 26%
- Moderate194 occupations · 25%
- High190 occupations · 24%
- Very high199 occupations · 25%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories supplemental table.
- Exposure is relative. The categories rank occupations against each other; they are not a probability that a job is automated.
- BLS says exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. A highly exposed job can still grow if AI makes the people in it more productive.
- The classification reflects AI capabilities as the underlying studies measured them. Read the BLS method and limitations.
Inside the work
What AI can and cannot do in this job
O*NET rates how important each work activity is to an occupation and how often each working condition comes up. The ratings below are the ones that move the job's NueCareer AI-resilience score the most: the ones that pull it up, and the ones that pull it down. Only ratings clearly above the midpoint count.
What holds up
Physical, hands-on and person-to-person work
- Face-to-face discussions4.5/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Hands-on work with tools and objects4.5/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Performing for or working directly with the public3.9/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Time spent on your feet4.8/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Repetitive motions4.2/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Being exact or highly accurate3.9/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates3.9/5O*NET work activity, importance
The tasks O*NET lists for bussers
- Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.
- Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash.
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
- Locate items requested by customers.
- Fill beverage or ice dispensers.
- Clean and polish counters, shelves, walls, furniture, or equipment in food service areas or other areas of restaurants and mop or vacuum floors.
O*NET 31.0 Database task statements, most important first.
The jobs
Will there still be jobs?
Exposure says where AI meets the work. The BLS projection says what the labor market is expected to do over 2025–2035. BLS projects +5.3% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 95,300 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 542,750 people work in the job today, at a median of $33,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Questions
Will AI Replace Bussers? FAQ
Will AI replace bussers?
Very unlikely. BLS rates bussers among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do. BLS defines exposure as AI being able to assist with or complete some of the work, and says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains or wage effects. BLS projects employment to change by +5.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 95,300 openings a year.
How exposed are bussers to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Bussers are in the low category, alongside 202 other occupations. The categories combine five public measures of where AI could be or already is used, and they compare occupations with each other rather than giving an absolute risk.
What parts of a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper's job can AI do?
In O*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are repetitive motions, being exact or highly accurate and communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates. The parts that hold up best are face-to-face discussions, hands-on work with tools and objects and performing for or working directly with the public. These come from O*NET ratings of how important each activity is to the job, read through NueCareer's AI-resilience method.
Is being a dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, bussers score 60 out of 100, higher than 85% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $33,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No job is fully safe from technological change, but the federal exposure category and the projected openings are the two numbers worth weighing.
The AI exposure category is the Bureau of Labor Statistics'. The AI-resilience score and the activity breakdown are NueCareer's analysis of O*NET 31.0 Database data (method), not a federal figure. More: jobs most exposed to AI, jobs least exposed to AI, or check any job.