Where AI could reshape the most jobs

Few occupations have been immune to the effects of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. While recent research has tempered the most dire predictions of job loss, some occupations nonetheless face high levels of exposure to declining hiring demand, wage pressure, task automation and other forms of disruption. States with larger concentrations of highly exposed occupations could experience more pronounced labor-market changes, particularly in roles where core tasks are more vulnerable to AI-driven restructuring.

SmartAsset used the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data to calculate the percentage of each state’s workforce employed in 26 positions classified at the highest risk of potential AI disruption according to June 2026 research by the Virginia Economic Information and Analytics Division. The results show where potential AI-related job disruption is most concentrated across the United States.

Key Findings

• Washington has the highest concentration of AI-exposed jobs. Washington state ranks No. 1 in the study, with 5.7% of its workforce employed in occupations with the highest exposure to potential AI disruption. Home to major technology companies including Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile and Expedia, the state has large numbers of computer programmers and software developers, two occupations with high exposure.
• Mississippi’s workforce is the least exposed to AI disruption. Mississippi ranks No. 51 among the 50 states and Washington D.C., with just 1.9% of its workforce employed in occupations with the highest exposure to potential AI disruption.
• A tale of two Dakotas. Despite similar populations, South Dakota ranks No. 11 in the study while North Dakota ranks No. 42. The difference could partly reflect South Dakota’s large financial-services sector, which contributes to a significantly higher concentration of bookkeepers and accounting clerks than in North Dakota. These two occupations are among those classified as highly exposed to potential AI disruption.
• California and Texas have the most workers in high-exposure occupations. Each state has at least 500,000 workers employed in occupations with high exposure to potential AI disruption.

Occupations Most Exposed to AI Disruption

1. Mathematicians
2. Proofreaders
3. Correspondence clerks
4. Court reporters
5. Media and communication workers
6. Computer programmers
7. Database administrators
8. Web developers
9. Telephone operators
10. Communications equipment operators
11. Data entry keyers
12. Statistical assistants
13. Office support workers
14. Interpreters and translators
15. Database architects
16. Software quality assurance analysts
17. Medical transcriptionists
18. Software developers
19. Writers and authors
20. Payroll clerks
21. Web designers
22. Miscellaneous computer occupations
23. Insurance claims processors
24. Telemarketers
25. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
26. Bookkeeping and accounting clerks 

Methodology

The estimated number of jobs in 26 occupations identified at the highest risk of potential AI disruption according to June 2026 research by the Virginia Economic Information and Analytics Division was calculated for each state and the District of Columbia by referencing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupational wage data for May 2025, the most recent period available, then dividing the result by the total number of employees in all occupations within each state. In some cases, occupation titles were modified from BLS Standard Occupational Classification titles for presentation purposes; the underlying occupation definitions and codes were unchanged. Rankings are based on BLS point estimates, and small differences between states should not be interpreted as statistically significant. This analysis measures employment concentration in occupations classified as highly AI-exposed; it does not estimate future job losses, wage changes or hiring declines. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.

This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.