Short answer
AI will reshape this job more than most, but BLS does not forecast it disappearing. The exposure is among the highest BLS measured, yet it still projects employment to grow faster than average.
AI and jobs
Will AI Replace Medical Records Specialists? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places medical records specialists in its very high AI exposure category, among the occupations most exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +7.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 14,000 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- Very highBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 25/100Higher than 16% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +7.8%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 14,000BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed medical records specialists 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. Medical Records Specialists land in the very high category: among the occupations most 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
- Low203 occupations · 26%
- Moderate194 occupations · 25%
- High190 occupations · 24%
- Very high · this job199 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 discussions4.8/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships4.1/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Developing and building teams3.8/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Hands-on work with tools and objects3.7/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Repeating the same tasks4.4/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Documenting/recording information4.0/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Working with computers4.5/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Processing information3.8/5O*NET work activity, importance
The tasks O*NET lists for medical records specialists
- Protect the security of medical records to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
- Review records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with regulations.
- Retrieve patient medical records for physicians, technicians, or other medical personnel.
- Release information to persons or agencies according to regulations.
- Maintain or operate a variety of health record indexes or storage and retrieval systems to collect, classify, store, or analyze information.
- Scan patients' health records into electronic formats.
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 +7.8% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 14,000 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 194,720 people work in the job today, at a median of $51,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Full medical records specialist profile: pay by state, entry route and skills
Options
Related careers less exposed to AI than medical records specialists
Careers O*NET lists as related to the work, or in the same field at similar pay, that BLS places in a lower exposure category.
Licensed Practical Nurse
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $64,400median a year
- Growth
- +3.0%
- Openings / yr
- 51,800
- Education
- Certificate
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 46/100
- resilience
Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions.
Medical Assistant
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $45,690median a year
- Growth
- +12.9%
- Openings / yr
- 109,700
- Education
- Certificate
- Moderate
- BLS AI exposure
- 41/100
- resilience
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician.
Registered Nurse
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $97,550median a year
- Growth
- +5.6%
- Openings / yr
- 180,800
- Education
- Bachelor's
- High
- BLS AI exposure
- 53/100
- resilience
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records.
Pharmacy Technician
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $45,750median a year
- Growth
- +6.4%
- Openings / yr
- 44,700
- Education
- High school
- High
- BLS AI exposure
- 38/100
- resilience
Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist.
Allergist and Immunologist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $265,930median a year
- Growth
- +3.4%
- Openings / yr
- 9,400
- Education
- Doctorate
- High
- BLS AI exposure
- 35/100
- resilience
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent allergic diseases and disease processes affecting the immune system.
Patient Representative
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $50,290median a year
- Growth
- +5.9%
- Openings / yr
- 12,400
- Education
- Certificate
- High
- BLS AI exposure
- 28/100
- resilience
Assist patients in obtaining services, understanding policies and making health care decisions.
Questions
Will AI Replace Medical Records Specialists? FAQ
Will AI replace medical records specialists?
AI will reshape this job more than most, but BLS does not forecast it disappearing. The exposure is among the highest BLS measured, yet it still projects employment to grow faster than average. 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 +7.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 14,000 openings a year.
How exposed are medical records specialists to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Medical Records Specialists are in the very high category, alongside 198 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 medical records specialist's job can AI do?
In O*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are repeating the same tasks, documenting/recording information and working with computers. The parts that hold up best are face-to-face discussions, establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships and developing and building teams. 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 medical records specialist a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, medical records specialists score 25 out of 100, higher than 16% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $51,140 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 medical records specialists are less exposed to AI?
Licensed Practical Nurse (low exposure, $64,400 median), Medical Assistant (moderate exposure, $45,690 median), Registered Nurse (high exposure, $97,550 median), Pharmacy Technician (high exposure, $45,750 median). Each is in a lower BLS exposure category than medical records specialists, 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.