Short answer
Very unlikely. BLS rates cleaners of vehicles and equipment 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 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places cleaners of vehicles and equipment in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +3.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 51,500 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- LowBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 61/100Higher than 87% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +3.9%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 51,500BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed cleaners of vehicles and equipment 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. Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 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
- Performing general physical activities3.9/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Hands-on work with tools and objects4.4/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Face-to-face discussions4.1/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Handling and moving objects3.8/5O*NET work activity, importance
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Repetitive motions4.4/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Getting information3.5/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Being exact or highly accurate3.8/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Communicating with supervisors, peers, or subordinates3.6/5O*NET work activity, importance
The tasks O*NET lists for cleaners of vehicles and equipment
- Inspect parts, equipment, or vehicles for cleanliness, damage, and compliance with standards or regulations.
- Clean and polish vehicle windows.
- Sweep, shovel, or vacuum loose debris or salvageable scrap into containers and remove containers from work areas.
- Scrub, scrape, or spray machine parts, equipment, or vehicles, using scrapers, brushes, clothes, cleaners, disinfectants, insecticides, acid, abrasives, vacuums, or hoses.
- Mix cleaning solutions, abrasive compositions, or other compounds, according to formulas.
- Maintain inventories of supplies.
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 +3.9% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 51,500 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 380,430 people work in the job today, at a median of $35,830 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Full cleaner of vehicles and equipment profile: pay by state, entry route and skills
Options
Related careers that are also low-exposure
Careers O*NET lists as related to the work, or in the same field at similar pay, that BLS places in a low exposure category.
Crane and Tower Operator
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $68,080median a year
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings / yr
- 3,500
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 76/100
- resilience
Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
Ambulance Driver and Attendant, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $35,450median a year
- Growth
- −1.3%
- Openings / yr
- 1,400
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 65/100
- resilience
Drive ambulance or assist ambulance driver in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons.
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendant
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $35,670median a year
- Growth
- +3.8%
- Openings / yr
- 12,900
- Education
- No formal credential
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 64/100
- resilience
Service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories.
Septic Tank Servicer and Sewer Pipe Cleaner
Construction and Extraction
- Median pay
- $49,880median a year
- Growth
- +7.8%
- Openings / yr
- 2,800
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 63/100
- resilience
Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or drains.
Sailor and Marine Oiler
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $51,520median a year
- Growth
- +3.2%
- Openings / yr
- 3,600
- Education
- No formal credential
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 63/100
- resilience
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $46,420median a year
- Growth
- +1.5%
- Openings / yr
- 64,700
- Education
- No formal credential
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 62/100
- resilience
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Questions
Will AI Replace Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment? FAQ
Will AI replace cleaners of vehicles and equipment?
Very unlikely. BLS rates cleaners of vehicles and equipment 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 +3.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 51,500 openings a year.
How exposed are cleaners of vehicles and equipment to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 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 cleaner of vehicles and equipment'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, getting information and being exact or highly accurate. The parts that hold up best are performing general physical activities, hands-on work with tools and objects and face-to-face discussions. 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 cleaner of vehicles and equipment a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, cleaners of vehicles and equipment score 61 out of 100, higher than 87% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $35,830 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.
What careers similar to cleaners of vehicles and equipment are less exposed to AI?
Crane and Tower Operator (low exposure, $68,080 median), Ambulance Driver and Attendant, Except Emergency Medical Technicians (low exposure, $35,450 median), Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendant (low exposure, $35,670 median), Septic Tank Servicer and Sewer Pipe Cleaner (low exposure, $49,880 median). Each is also in the low category, and most are listed by O*NET as related to the work.
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.