Will AI replace air transportation workers?
5 jobs scored. On average 54% of the task time in these jobs still needs a person, and the family averages 74 out of 100 on Still needs a human, where higher is safer.
74
Average Still needs a human score, 0 to 100 ↑ safer. Will AI replace them? A little.
5
Jobs scored in this family
54%
Average share of Task timeHow a job’s working hours divide between its tasks. Tasks that matter more and come up more often get a bigger share.More in the glossary that still needs a person
321k
US workers in these jobs
How the work could shift in Air Transportation Workers
The share of US workers in these jobs whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
Today
41%
of US workers in this family are in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
0% are in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2045
4%
of US workers in this family would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
43% would be in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2060
4%
of US workers in this family would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
91% would be in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
Each job's score moves towards the bottom band (Largely: AI could largely do the job) by the year it could be largely automated, slowly at first and faster later, as adoption usually goes. Each job is run as ten scenarios across its replacement range, so every figure mixes early and late outcomes. The model stops at 2060. How the timeline works
Will AI replace the job?Largely.Mostly.Partly.A little.Nah.
Show the data
| Year | Largely | Mostly | Partly | A little | Nah |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today (2026) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 58.9% | 41.1% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 93.8% | 4.1% |
| 2035 | 0.0% | 2.6% | 53.0% | 40.4% | 4.1% |
| 2040 | 7.5% | 41.7% | 41.5% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| 2045 | 42.6% | 39.3% | 8.8% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| 2050 | 68.0% | 22.7% | 0.0% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| 2055 | 90.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| 2060 | 90.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
Every job in Air Transportation Workers, ranked
Air Traffic ControllersTransportation and Material Moving · 53-2021
66↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 0%AI helps 91%Needs a human 9%
20462042–2054
23k
$148,080
Airfield Operations SpecialistsTransportation and Material Moving · 53-2022
71↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 3%AI helps 50%Needs a human 47%
20482043–2060+
15k
$56,850
Commercial PilotsTransportation and Material Moving · 53-2012
76↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 0%AI helps 34%Needs a human 66%
20502043–2060+
48k
$123,220
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight EngineersTransportation and Material Moving · 53-2011
76↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 0%AI helps 43%Needs a human 57%
20502044–2060+
104k
$232,140
Flight AttendantsTransportation and Material Moving · 53-2031
80↑ saferAI replace? Nah.
AI does 0%AI helps 11%Needs a human 89%
20512043–2060+
132k
$63,580