Jobs in hotels and motels have an average Still needs a human score of 78.1 out of 100 (higher is safer), 4.1 points above the average for all jobs of 74.0 and 9th of 37 among the sectors (1st is least exposed). The largest job here is maids and housekeeping cleaners (412,000 workers, 88/100 ↑ safer), and of the jobs more common here than across the economy, sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel is the most exposed (54/100 ↑ safer).
78.1/100↑ safer
2.4%
9.2%
+3.1%
How the work here could shift
The share of workers in this sector whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
Today
53%
of workers in this sector are in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
0% are in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2045
6%
of workers in this sector 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
6%
of workers in this sector would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
87% 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% | 2.2% | 45.3% | 52.5% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 0.9% | 18.8% | 42.1% | 38.3% |
| 2035 | 8.6% | 12.4% | 27.4% | 43.4% | 8.1% |
| 2040 | 21.2% | 28.5% | 27.9% | 16.7% | 5.7% |
| 2045 | 43.2% | 27.9% | 19.0% | 4.3% | 5.7% |
| 2050 | 61.2% | 25.3% | 6.0% | 1.9% | 5.7% |
| 2055 | 77.3% | 15.1% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 5.7% |
| 2060 | 86.5% | 6.0% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 5.7% |
The largest jobs in hotels and motels
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2047–2060+ | 412,200 |
| 2 | Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | 66↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2049 | 242,400 |
| 3 | Waiters and Waitresses | 79↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2044–2060+ | 136,900 |
| 4 | Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 83↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 86,700 |
| 5 | Cooks, Restaurant | 83↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 72,200 |
| 6 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 56,200 |
| 7 | Bartenders | 83↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 50,900 |
| 8 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 42,400 |
| 9 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 39,800 |
| 10 | First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 67↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 39,700 |
Common jobs here that AI can do most of
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer Service Representatives | 51↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2041 | 8,300 |
| 2 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2034–2042 | 4,100 |
| 3 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2042 | 23,300 |
| 4 | Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 59↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2035–2045 | 2,000 |
| 5 | Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2045 | 3,900 |
| 6 | Receptionists and Information Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 3,500 |
| 7 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2046 | 13,600 |
| 8 | Human Resources Specialists | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2045 | 5,700 |
| 9 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 5,900 |
| 10 | Concierges | 64↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2041–2054 | 6,600 |
Common jobs here that most need a human
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 9,500 |
| 2 | Dishwashers | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 26,000 |
| 3 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2047–2060+ | 412,200 |
| 4 | Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 39,800 |
| 5 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 42,400 |
| 6 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 56,200 |
| 7 | Food Preparation Workers | 85↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 14,700 |
| 8 | Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2048–2060+ | 2,100 |
| 9 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2044–2060+ | 2,600 |
| 10 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2042–2060+ | 6,100 |
Related sectors: Accommodation and food services, Restaurants
How this is worked out
- The average weights every job's Still needs a human score by how many people do it in this sector, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' industry employment data. Jobs cover 98.2% of the sector's employment.
- Job scores are national: an accountant in retail scores the same as an accountant anywhere. The sector figure reflects its mix of jobs, not how its employers use AI; the Census figure shows that.