Jobs in North Dakota have an average Still needs a human score of 75.3 out of 100 (higher is safer), 1.3 points above the US average of 74.0 and tied for 2nd of 51 among the states and DC (1st is least exposed). The largest job here is heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (12,000 workers, 79/100 ↑ safer), and of the jobs more common here than across the economy, sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products is the most exposed (57/100 ↑ safer).
How the work in North Dakota could shift
The share of workers in the state whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
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
Show the data
| Year | Largely | Mostly | Partly | A little | Nah |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today (2026) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.3% | 57.7% | 38.0% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 1.6% | 25.0% | 53.2% | 20.2% |
| 2035 | 12.5% | 18.1% | 30.0% | 32.9% | 6.6% |
| 2040 | 30.7% | 28.2% | 26.3% | 8.5% | 6.4% |
| 2045 | 53.6% | 26.3% | 11.5% | 2.2% | 6.4% |
| 2050 | 70.4% | 19.4% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 6.4% |
| 2055 | 84.3% | 7.3% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 6.4% |
| 2060 | 89.8% | 1.8% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 6.4% |
The largest jobs in North Dakota
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 79↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2044–2060+ | 11,870 |
| 2 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | 82↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2044–2060+ | 11,470 |
| 3 | Registered Nurses | 80↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 5 related jobs | D | 2042–2060+ | 11,340 |
| 4 | Retail Salespersons | 69↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2054 | 11,320 |
| 5 | General and Operations Managers | 72↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2051 | 11,150 |
| 6 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2044–2060+ | 9,990 |
| 7 | Cashiers | 74↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2060+ | 9,510 |
| 8 | Office Clerks, General | 65↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2053 | 8,440 |
| 9 | Nursing Assistants | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2045–2060+ | 6,840 |
| 10 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 6,720 |
Common jobs here that AI can do most of
Jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state, lowest score first.
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer Service Representatives | 51↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2041 | 5,750 |
| 2 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2034–2042 | 1,550 |
| 3 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2042 | 1,620 |
| 4 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 57↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2044 | 4,180 |
| 5 | Receptionists and Information Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 1,930 |
| 6 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2046 | 4,290 |
| 7 | Human Resources Specialists | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2045 | 1,710 |
| 8 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 5,800 |
| 9 | Computer User Support Specialists | 62↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2034–2045 | 1,400 |
| 10 | Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 62↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2046 | 1,120 |
Common jobs here that most need a human
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2048–2060+ | 2,460 |
| 2 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 2,100 |
| 3 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2048–2060+ | 1,240 |
| 4 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2047–2060+ | 2,880 |
| 5 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | 88↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2048–2060+ | 1,190 |
| 6 | Construction Laborers | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2048–2060+ | 5,050 |
| 7 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 2,590 |
| 8 | Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment | 87↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 1,330 |
| 9 | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 86↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2046–2060+ | 6,720 |
| 10 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 85↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2048–2060+ | 4,890 |
The job most over-represented in North Dakota compared with the US as a whole is Wellhead Pumpers (31.5 times its share of US jobs), with a score of 84.
Neighboring states: Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota
How this is worked out
- The average weights every job's Still needs a human score by how many people do it in the state, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment survey (May 2025). Jobs cover 98.2% of the state's employment.
- Job scores are national: a state's accountants score the same as anyone else's. The state figure reflects its mix of jobs, not how its employers use AI.
- Where BLS hides a figure for a small job, the state's missing workers are shared out by national patterns; those estimates count in the average but never put a job on a list.