Will AI replace water transportation workers?
4 jobs scored. On average 83% of the task time in these jobs still needs a person, and the family averages 83 out of 100 on Still needs a human, where higher is safer.
83
Average Still needs a human score, 0 to 100 ↑ safer. Will AI replace them? Nah.
4
Jobs scored in this family
83%
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
79k
US workers in these jobs
How the work could shift in Water Transportation Workers
The share of US workers in these jobs whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
Today
43%
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.)
30% 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.)
86% 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% | 57.0% | 43.0% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 65.6% | 34.4% |
| 2035 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 36.0% | 59.7% | 4.3% |
| 2040 | 4.3% | 31.4% | 41.4% | 18.6% | 4.3% |
| 2045 | 30.3% | 36.8% | 22.9% | 5.7% | 4.3% |
| 2050 | 51.4% | 34.3% | 4.3% | 5.7% | 4.3% |
| 2055 | 76.0% | 14.0% | 0.0% | 5.7% | 4.3% |
| 2060 | 85.7% | 4.3% | 0.0% | 5.7% | 4.3% |
Every job in Water Transportation Workers, ranked
Ship EngineersTransportation and Material Moving · 53-5031
79↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 0%AI helps 27%Needs a human 73%
20532044–2060+
8k
$109,530
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water VesselsTransportation and Material Moving · 53-5021
79↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 0%AI helps 27%Needs a human 73%
20512044–2060+
37k
$92,460
Sailors and Marine OilersTransportation and Material Moving · 53-5011
86↑ saferAI replace? Nah.
AI does 0%AI helps 9%Needs a human 91%
20562044–2060+
32k
$51,520
Motorboat OperatorsTransportation and Material Moving · 53-5022
87↑ saferAI replace? Nah.
AI does 0%AI helps 6%Needs a human 94%
20572044–2060+
2k
$47,520