News & Trending Jobs & Career News

14 Traditional Careers That Are Least Likely To Be Taken Over by AI

The enduring professions that artificial intelligence can't conquer.

Female technician wearing yellow safety halmet is fixing a part of machinery with screwdriver in factory.
Updated May 28, 2024
Fact checked

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

Artificial intelligence isn't going anywhere. In fact, one of the exciting — or possibly terrifying — aspects of AI is how fast it is evolving. More and more people are using it in some way.

Whether you're looking for a new career or a way to make extra money, much has been made of the jobs most at risk. Here are 15 “traditional” careers likely to resist the AI tide for a long time.

Earn money online by taking surveys

$55,000 might sound crazy … but with a company called Survey Junkie, it’s possible to get your share of it every day by taking their surveys in your extra time.

Follow these simple steps to start earning:

  1. Sign up for an account with Survey Junkie here.
  2. Take surveys.
  3. Repeat daily and get paid for sharing your opinion!

P.S.: You can cash out with as little as $5 through PayPal or bank transfer, or transfer to gift cards from a number of stores.

Get your share of $55,000 daily by signing up here

Electricians

Lisa F. Young/Adobe electrician working

If you have power in your home, you can thank an electrician. In fact, the power routed to your computer is precisely what keeps AI running.

It should be some comfort to know that humans are still the ones behind the switch. Electricians also make a good living — $29.61 an hour, something that can help you get ahead financially.

Bartenders

Graphicroyalty/Adobe  female worker at bartender desk

Bartenders are a staple of film — from 1940s noir to Marvel’s “Deadpool” — for a reason: They're the ones upon whom we lay our woes while imbibing.

Yes, a robot can theoretically serve you a drink in a bar, but that doesn't mean it can listen to you and empathize.

Just remember to tip your bartender well, please.

Landscapers

W PRODUCTION/Adobe  gardener trimming hedgerow

It might sound silly, but short of machines coming to life a la Stephen King’s “Maximum Overdrive,” that lawn ain’t gonna mow itself.

In all seriousness, AI might be able to provide plans for how a landscape should look or present humans with a few ideas, but it certainly can't do the job.

Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt

Credit card debt is suffocating. It constantly weighs on your mind and controls every choice you make. You can end up emotionally and even physically drained from it. And even though you make regular payments, it feels like you can never make any progress because of the interest.

National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.1

How to get National Debt Relief to help you resolve your debt: Sign up for a free debt assessment here. (Do not skip this step!) By signing up for a free assessment, National Debt Relief can assist you in settling your debt, but only if you schedule the assessment.

Try it

Auto repair

Mr. Music/Adobe A mechanic at a car repair service center examines shock-absorbing components such as springs and dampers

AI has been used in car manufacturing since the 1960s, but that doesn't mean robots will take mechanics’ jobs.

In short: Robots might be good at putting vehicles together, but they don't know how to determine what's wrong and take the next step.

HVAC Technicians

vladdeep/Adobe female mechanic engineer

This is another dirty job that AI can't handle until it can work its way through our buildings' crawlspaces and ducts.

HVAC techs install, repair, and maintain the systems we take for granted while they keep us cool, warm, or otherwise well-ventilated. It's unlikely in the extreme that a Roomba can handle that.

Carpenters

gpointstudio/Adobe carpenter

Fun fact: Harrison Ford was a carpenter before becoming the much-beloved Han Solo and Indiana Jones.

But in terms of practical matters, while AI might be able to check the blueprints and measurements for a house, it can't actually build that house. 

You need carpenters to work with the wood and construct, install, and repair buildings.

Foreman

Production Perig/Adobe attractive worker on a construction site

You probably don't want an AI telling you what to do. Nobody does.

Foremen are in charge of construction sites and help the rest of the jobs on this list get done.

Masons

Ксения Маслова/Adobe man building brick wall

Masons are skilled tradespeople who work with brick and stone. It's a craft that requires an understanding of the geometry they're working in and what the final product should look like.

Since artificial intelligence doesn't know you, it won't know what you want.

Military

.shock/Adobe soldier fighters standing together

It's hard to overstate how vital U.S. service members are. In fact, you probably can't. 

While there's room for automation when it comes to certain aspects of intel, someone still needs to work the role.

Earn cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account

Want to earn cash back on your everyday purchases without using a credit card? With the Discover®️ Cashback Debit Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!2

With no credit check to apply and no monthly fees to worry about, you can earn nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!

This rare checking account has other great perks too, like access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with Early Pay, no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements, over 60K fee-free ATMs, and the ability to add cash to your account at Walmart stores nationwide.

Don’t leave money on the table — it only takes minutes to apply and it won’t impact your credit score.

Apply for a Discover Cashback Checking account today

Agricultural equipment operators

Hoda Bogdan/Adobe farmer working on field

This is a broad way of saying farmhands. As the name implies, agricultural equipment operators handle tools used on a farm.

Sometimes that means cultivating, sometimes it means harvesting, and sometimes it means planting. Maybe you bale hay, feed livestock; maybe you heard that livestock, or maybe you clean up after them. 

Whatever physical task it is, an AI is unlikely to do it — at least, not until it can walk around on two legs.

Plumbers

Kurhan/Adobe professional plumber

No matter how rich or poor you are, you call a plumber when the toilet isn't working.

There's a nuance to plumbing that goes unrespected. You have to know where a problem is and how to fix it. AI can help identify problem areas, but it can't do the job.

Roofers

ftfoxfoto/Adobe Man on roof

As with masons, roofers need a solid understanding of the physical space they're working with.

But, as usual, there's an art to it and a tactile understanding that robots are unlikely to master. Watching a robot trying to navigate a pitched roof would be hilarious, though.

Welders

ikonoklast_hh/Adobe welder posing with welding machine

Theoretically, this should go to robots on the assembly line, except welders work in ways robots simply can't.

Technically, the job involves fusing metal parts. But AI doesn't excel in cramped spaces or ensuring that metal pieces are correctly assembled.

Woodworkers

LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe woodworker in protective headphones

This is a more specialized version of carpentry, at least in terms of dealing with wood.

While it's unlikely any of us would ask a cabinetmaker to construct a house, nor would we ask an AI to build a chair that will be passed down through generations. 

The emotion and pride attached to something built with our own hands — imperfections and all — are impossible for a computer to replicate.

Bottom line

highwaystarz/Adobe builder working on roof

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly all industries.

That said, specific jobs remain resilient. These "blue-collar" occupations rely on human workers' expertise, creativity, and physical skills. 

As we embrace AI's potential, it's important to recognize and value the unique contributions of these AI-proof jobs. And if you stick with yours, maybe you can retire early.

Find Paying Caregiver Jobs in Your Area

Connect with families looking for child care, pet care, housekeeping, and more.

Join today
Earn Up to $75/Hour Working From Home

Free 3-class intro teaches you how to launch a bookkeeping business — avg. hourly rate for this skill is $75/hour.

Access the training
Earn Money Online by Taking Surveys

Get your share of $55,000 paid out daily to Survey Junkie users.

Sign up for free


Author Details

Will Vitka

Will Vitka is a D.C. area reporter and writer. He previously worked for WTOP, The New York Post, Stuff Magazine, and CBS News.