Short answer
Very unlikely. BLS rates tire repairers and changers 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 Tire Repairers and Changers? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places tire repairers and changers in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +3.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 12,900 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- LowBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 64/100Higher than 92% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +3.4%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 12,900BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed tire repairers and changers 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. Tire Repairers and Changers 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 discussions4.6/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Hands-on work with tools and objects4.8/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Handling and moving objects4.2/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Working outdoors in all weather4.4/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Repetitive motions4.0/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Repeating the same tasks3.7/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Getting information3.8/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Being exact or highly accurate4.3/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
The tasks O*NET lists for tire repairers and changers
- Unbolt and remove wheels from vehicles, using lug wrenches or other hand or power tools.
- Identify tire size and ply and inflate tires accordingly.
- Raise vehicles, using hydraulic jacks.
- Reassemble tires onto wheels.
- Remount wheels onto vehicles.
- Seal punctures in tubeless tires by inserting adhesive material and expanding rubber plugs into punctures, using hand tools.
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 +3.4% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 12,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 108,410 people work in the job today, at a median of $37,710 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Full tire repairer and changer 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.
Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $95,320median a year
- Growth
- +10.3%
- Openings / yr
- 10,900
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 76/100
- resilience
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.
Mechanical Door Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $55,720median a year
- Growth
- +6.4%
- Openings / yr
- 2,100
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 73/100
- resilience
Install, service, or repair automatic door mechanisms and hydraulic doors.
Millwright
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $65,700median a year
- Growth
- +0.9%
- Openings / yr
- 3,200
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 67/100
- resilience
Install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.
Motorcycle Mechanic
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $48,580median a year
- Growth
- +2.1%
- Openings / yr
- 1,400
- Education
- Certificate
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 66/100
- resilience
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, or similar motorized vehicles.
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic, Except Engines
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $65,510median a year
- Growth
- +6.7%
- Openings / yr
- 15,000
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 66/100
- resilience
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, graders, and conveyors, used in construction, logging, and mining.
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Worker
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $39,630median a year
- Growth
- +5.3%
- Openings / yr
- 13,600
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 65/100
- resilience
Help installation, maintenance, and repair workers in maintenance, parts replacement, and repair of vehicles, industrial machinery, and electrical and electronic equipment.
Questions
Will AI Replace Tire Repairers and Changers? FAQ
Will AI replace tire repairers and changers?
Very unlikely. BLS rates tire repairers and changers 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 +3.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 12,900 openings a year.
How exposed are tire repairers and changers to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Tire Repairers and Changers 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 tire repairer and changer'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, repeating the same tasks and getting information. The parts that hold up best are face-to-face discussions, hands-on work with tools and objects and handling and moving objects. 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 tire repairer and changer a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, tire repairers and changers score 64 out of 100, higher than 92% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $37,710 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 tire repairers and changers are less exposed to AI?
Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer (low exposure, $95,320 median), Mechanical Door Repairer (low exposure, $55,720 median), Millwright (low exposure, $65,700 median), Motorcycle Mechanic (low exposure, $48,580 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.