Data · Updated 15 October 2026
UK AI Job-Risk Index
How exposed are the UK's biggest occupations to AI? This index puts the Department for Education's published AI exposure scores next to ONS figures on how many people do each job and what it pays, for the 100 largest occupations we could match.
20.2m
employee jobs covered (ONS ASHE 2020)
56%
of those jobs are in High or Very high exposure occupations
Exposure ≠ job loss
High exposure often means AI changes tasks, not that the job disappears. Read the method.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management consultants and business analysts SOC 2010 2423 · Level 4 | Very high 1.49 100th percentile | 1.45 | 203,000 | £42,555 | Article |
| Financial managers and directors SOC 2010 1131 · Level 4 | Very high 1.46 100th percentile | 1.32 | 362,000 | £67,020 | Role scanner |
| Chartered and certified accountants SOC 2010 2421 · Level 4 | Very high 1.46 99th percentile | 1.25 | 97,000 | £42,303 | Article |
| Purchasing managers and directors SOC 2010 1133 · Level 4 | Very high 1.44 99th percentile | 1.33 | 73,000 | £48,199 | Article |
| Business and financial project management professionals SOC 2010 2424 · Level 4 | Very high 1.41 98th percentile | 1.29 | 265,000 | £50,508 | Article |
| Finance and investment analysts and advisers SOC 2010 3534 · Level 3 | Very high 1.41 98th percentile | 1.31 | 134,000 | £37,441 | Article |
| Business and related associate professionals n.e.c. SOC 2010 3539 · Level 3 | Very high 1.39 98th percentile | 1.27 | 218,000 | £30,032 | Role scanner |
| Solicitors SOC 2010 2413 · Level 4 | Very high 1.38 97th percentile | 1.59 | 89,000 | £43,014 | Article |
| Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks SOC 2010 4122 · Level 2 | Very high 1.34 95th percentile | 1.18 | 297,000 | £25,926 | Article |
| Financial accounts managers SOC 2010 3538 · Level 3 | Very high 1.34 96th percentile | 1.08 | 130,000 | £38,466 | Role scanner |
| National government administrative occupations SOC 2010 4112 · Level 2 | Very high 1.33 95th percentile | 1.39 | 160,000 | £26,554 | Article |
| Marketing associate professionals SOC 2010 3543 · Level 3 | Very high 1.31 95th percentile | 1.34 | 163,000 | £28,725 | Article |
| Human resource managers and directors SOC 2010 1135 · Level 4 | Very high 1.30 94th percentile | 1.39 | 133,000 | £49,346 | Article |
| Vocational and industrial trainers and instructors SOC 2010 3563 · Level 3 | Very high 1.30 93th percentile | 1.36 | 127,000 | £30,102 | Article |
| Marketing and sales directors SOC 2010 1132 · Level 4 | Very high 1.29 93th percentile | 1.25 | 204,000 | £80,000 | Article |
| Sales accounts and business development managers SOC 2010 3545 · Level 3 | Very high 1.26 92th percentile | 1.26 | 572,000 | £48,032 | Article |
| Programmers and software development professionals SOC 2010 2136 · Level 4 | Very high 1.24 90th percentile | 1.01 | 247,000 | £43,981 | Article |
| Further education teaching professionals SOC 2010 2312 · Level 4 | Very high 1.24 90th percentile | 1.54 | 123,000 | £37,029 | Article |
| Human resources and industrial relations officers SOC 2010 3562 · Level 3 | Very high 1.23 89th percentile | 1.33 | 157,000 | £30,068 | Article |
| Higher education teaching professionals SOC 2010 2311 · Level 4 | Very high 1.22 89th percentile | 1.42 | 140,000 | £51,068 | Article |
| Information technology and telecommunications professionals n.e.c. SOC 2010 2139 · Level 4 | Very high 1.21 87th percentile | 1.00 | 117,000 | £38,602 | Role scanner |
| Quality assurance and regulatory professionals SOC 2010 2462 · Level 4 | Very high 1.20 87th percentile | 1.17 | 107,000 | £45,553 | Role scanner |
| Design and development engineers SOC 2010 2126 · Level 4 | Very high 1.18 87th percentile | 0.98 | 95,000 | £41,794 | Role scanner |
| Teaching and other educational professionals n.e.c. SOC 2010 2319 · Level 4 | Very high 1.14 85th percentile | 1.29 | 114,000 | £26,872 | Role scanner |
| Senior professionals of educational establishments SOC 2010 2317 · Level 4 | Very high 1.14 85th percentile | 1.26 | 114,000 | £56,508 | Article |
| IT business analysts, architects and systems designers SOC 2010 2135 · Level 4 | Very high 1.13 83th percentile | 0.88 | 130,000 | £50,821 | Role scanner |
| Customer service managers and supervisors SOC 2010 7220 · Level 2 | Very high 1.13 84th percentile | 1.22 | 88,000 | £29,984 | Article |
| IT operations technicians SOC 2010 3131 · Level 3 | Very high 1.12 83th percentile | 0.85 | 124,000 | £32,088 | Article |
| Business and related research professionals SOC 2010 2426 · Level 4 | Very high 1.09 82th percentile | 1.01 | 105,000 | £35,269 | Role scanner |
| Engineering professionals n.e.c. SOC 2010 2129 · Level 4 | Very high 1.09 81th percentile | 0.83 | 178,000 | £43,962 | Article |
| Financial institution managers and directors SOC 2010 1150 · Level 4 | Very high 1.08 81th percentile | 1.08 | 74,000 | £54,168 | Role scanner |
| Business sales executives SOC 2010 3542 · Level 3 | Very high 1.08 81th percentile | 1.11 | 225,000 | £36,121 | Role scanner |
| Chief executives and senior officials SOC 2010 1115 · Level 4 | High 1.06 80th percentile | 1.06 | 94,000 | £85,497 | Role scanner |
| Managers and directors in storage and warehousing SOC 2010 1162 · Level 4 | High 1.05 79th percentile | 0.97 | 119,000 | £30,866 | Article |
| IT specialist managers SOC 2010 2133 · Level 4 | High 1.04 78th percentile | 0.91 | 167,000 | £50,749 | Article |
| Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c. SOC 2010 3239 · Level 3 | High 1.03 78th percentile | 1.27 | 127,000 | £24,674 | Role scanner |
| Legal associate professionals SOC 2010 3520 · Level 3 | High 1.00 76th percentile | 1.01 | 75,000 | £28,338 | Article |
| Office managers SOC 2010 4161 · Level 2 | High 1.00 76th percentile | 1.04 | 182,000 | £32,243 | Article |
| Functional managers and directors n.e.c. SOC 2010 1139 · Level 4 | High 0.96 75th percentile | 1.00 | 68,000 | £56,561 | Role scanner |
| Personal assistants and other secretaries SOC 2010 4215 · Level 2 | High 0.94 74th percentile | 1.08 | 202,000 | £28,385 | Article |
| Other administrative occupations n.e.c. SOC 2010 4159 · Level 2 | High 0.90 72th percentile | 0.94 | 871,000 | £22,724 | Article |
| Secondary education teaching professionals SOC 2010 2314 · Level 4 | High 0.86 70th percentile | 0.91 | 542,000 | £40,766 | Article |
| Bank and post office clerks SOC 2010 4123 · Level 2 | High 0.85 70th percentile | 0.88 | 110,000 | £22,364 | Article |
| Financial administrative occupations n.e.c. SOC 2010 4129 · Level 2 | High 0.82 69th percentile | 0.74 | 105,000 | £23,220 | Role scanner |
| Managers and directors in transport and distribution SOC 2010 1161 · Level 4 | High 0.81 68th percentile | 0.81 | 82,000 | £40,082 | Article |
| Records clerks and assistants SOC 2010 4131 · Level 2 | High 0.81 68th percentile | 0.71 | 132,000 | £22,600 | Role scanner |
| Medical practitioners SOC 2010 2211 · Level 4 | High 0.80 67th percentile | 0.78 | 284,000 | £63,042 | Article |
| Social workers SOC 2010 2442 · Level 4 | High 0.77 66th percentile | 0.99 | 125,000 | £36,383 | Article |
| Public services associate professionals SOC 2010 3561 · Level 3 | High 0.76 66th percentile | 0.67 | 112,000 | £33,008 | Article |
| Customer service occupations n.e.c. SOC 2010 7219 · Level 2 | High 0.73 65th percentile | 0.85 | 396,000 | £21,712 | Article |
| Managers and directors in retail and wholesale SOC 2010 1190 · Level 4 | High 0.71 65th percentile | 0.79 | 338,000 | £30,341 | Role scanner |
| Production managers and directors in manufacturing SOC 2010 1121 · Level 4 | High 0.68 64th percentile | 0.59 | 572,000 | £48,842 | Role scanner |
| Production managers and directors in construction SOC 2010 1122 · Level 4 | High 0.66 64th percentile | 0.46 | 119,000 | £47,786 | Role scanner |
| Primary and nursery education teaching professionals SOC 2010 2315 · Level 4 | High 0.66 64th percentile | 0.83 | 526,000 | £36,755 | Article |
| Receptionists SOC 2010 4216 · Level 2 | High 0.64 63th percentile | 0.77 | 244,000 | £18,597 | Article |
| Property, housing and estate managers SOC 2010 1251 · Level 3 | High 0.56 61th percentile | 0.64 | 115,000 | £38,821 | Article |
| Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c. SOC 2010 1259 · Level 3 | High 0.56 61th percentile | 0.48 | 91,000 | £32,302 | Article |
| IT user support technicians SOC 2010 3132 · Level 3 | High 0.52 60th percentile | 0.45 | 150,000 | £30,796 | Article |
| Sales administrators SOC 2010 4151 · Level 2 | Medium 0.42 58th percentile | 0.42 | 67,000 | £23,171 | Role scanner |
| Teaching assistants SOC 2010 6125 · Level 2 | Medium 0.38 57th percentile | 0.70 | 346,000 | £17,898 | Article |
| Educational support assistants SOC 2010 6126 · Level 2 | Medium 0.38 57th percentile | 0.70 | 161,000 | £17,228 | Article |
| Youth and community workers SOC 2010 3231 · Level 3 | Medium 0.37 56th percentile | 0.47 | 96,000 | £26,147 | Role scanner |
| Chartered surveyors SOC 2010 2434 · Level 4 | Medium 0.33 56th percentile | 0.01 | 67,000 | £37,765 | Article |
| Nursery nurses and assistants SOC 2010 6121 · Level 2 | Medium 0.30 55th percentile | 0.49 | 181,000 | £18,048 | Article |
| Security guards and related occupations SOC 2010 9241 · Level 1 | Medium 0.28 54th percentile | 0.15 | 94,000 | £26,616 | Role scanner |
| Nurses SOC 2010 2231 · Level 4 | Medium 0.25 54th percentile | 0.25 | 955,000 | £34,034 | Article |
| Science, engineering and production technicians n.e.c. SOC 2010 3119 · Level 3 | Medium 0.22 53th percentile | -0.01 | 157,000 | £28,858 | Role scanner |
| Engineering technicians SOC 2010 3113 · Level 3 | Medium 0.07 51th percentile | -0.19 | 91,000 | £36,092 | Role scanner |
| Laboratory technicians SOC 2010 3111 · Level 3 | Medium 0.04 50th percentile | -0.16 | 69,000 | £21,159 | Article |
| Sports coaches, instructors and officials SOC 2010 3442 · Level 3 | Medium -0.14 47th percentile | 0.10 | 68,000 | £24,849 | Role scanner |
| Sales supervisors SOC 2010 7130 · Level 2 | Medium -0.15 47th percentile | 0.00 | 69,000 | £23,562 | Role scanner |
| Senior care workers SOC 2010 6146 · Level 2 | Medium -0.24 44th percentile | 0.12 | 76,000 | £21,123 | Article |
| Pharmacy and other dispensing assistants SOC 2010 7114 · Level 2 | Medium -0.27 43th percentile | -0.14 | 69,000 | £17,734 | Article |
| Care workers and home carers SOC 2010 6145 · Level 2 | Medium -0.36 41th percentile | -0.09 | 671,000 | £19,945 | Article |
| Retail cashiers and check-out operators SOC 2010 7112 · Level 2 | Medium -0.37 41th percentile | -0.23 | 141,000 | £17,774 | Role scanner |
| Chefs SOC 2010 5434 · Level 3 | Medium -0.38 40th percentile | -0.28 | 178,000 | £22,851 | Article |
| Caretakers SOC 2010 6232 · Level 2 | Low -0.41 39th percentile | -0.11 | 70,000 | £22,034 | Role scanner |
| Sales and retail assistants SOC 2010 7111 · Level 2 | Low -0.46 38th percentile | -0.14 | 1,048,000 | £18,973 | Role scanner |
| Stock control clerks and assistants SOC 2010 4133 · Level 2 | Low -0.52 35th percentile | -0.43 | 73,000 | £23,895 | Role scanner |
| Bus and coach drivers SOC 2010 8213 · Level 2 | Low -0.59 34th percentile | -1.07 | 99,000 | £27,015 | Article |
| Electricians and electrical fitters SOC 2010 5241 · Level 3 | Low -0.62 33th percentile | -0.78 | 134,000 | £33,657 | Article |
| Waiters and waitresses SOC 2010 9273 · Level 1 | Low -0.65 32th percentile | -0.26 | 155,000 | £17,425 | Role scanner |
| Elementary storage occupations SOC 2010 9260 · Level 1 | Low -0.67 32th percentile | -0.67 | 462,000 | £22,236 | Article |
| Police officers (sergeant and below) SOC 2010 3312 · Level 3 | Low -0.73 30th percentile | -0.69 | 221,000 | £41,641 | Article |
| Nursing auxiliaries and assistants SOC 2010 6141 · Level 2 | Low -0.80 27th percentile | -0.60 | 391,000 | £21,514 | Article |
| Electrical and electronic trades n.e.c. SOC 2010 5249 · Level 3 | Low -0.86 27th percentile | -0.97 | 115,000 | £34,941 | Article |
| Assemblers and routine operatives n.e.c. SOC 2010 8139 · Level 2 | Low -0.97 23th percentile | -1.11 | 91,000 | £22,296 | Role scanner |
| Fire service officers (watch manager and below) SOC 2010 3313 · Level 3 | Low -0.99 22th percentile | -1.03 | 69,000 | £35,885 | Article |
| Food, drink and tobacco process operatives SOC 2010 8111 · Level 2 | Low -1.00 21th percentile | -1.10 | 140,000 | £21,714 | Role scanner |
| Kitchen and catering assistants SOC 2010 9272 · Level 1 | Low -1.01 21th percentile | -0.77 | 439,000 | £17,356 | Article |
| Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians SOC 2010 5231 · Level 3 | Very low -1.10 18th percentile | -1.14 | 126,000 | £29,125 | Role scanner |
| Metal working production and maintenance fitters SOC 2010 5223 · Level 3 | Very low -1.27 14th percentile | -1.31 | 293,000 | £32,934 | Article |
| Van drivers SOC 2010 8212 · Level 2 | Very low -1.31 13th percentile | -1.40 | 258,000 | £22,654 | Article |
| Construction operatives n.e.c. SOC 2010 8149 · Level 2 | Very low -1.36 10th percentile | -1.35 | 86,000 | £26,418 | Article |
| Carpenters and joiners SOC 2010 5315 · Level 3 | Very low -1.36 10th percentile | -1.34 | 75,000 | £28,473 | Article |
| Bar staff SOC 2010 9274 · Level 1 | Very low -1.38 10th percentile | -1.04 | 107,000 | £18,144 | Role scanner |
| Large goods vehicle drivers SOC 2010 8211 · Level 2 | Very low -1.41 8th percentile | -1.55 | 200,000 | £30,820 | Article |
| Elementary process plant occupations n.e.c. SOC 2010 9139 · Level 1 | Very low -1.53 5th percentile | -1.51 | 88,000 | £22,385 | Role scanner |
| Packers, bottlers, canners and fillers SOC 2010 9134 · Level 1 | Very low -1.56 4th percentile | -1.42 | 94,000 | £20,257 | Role scanner |
| Cleaners and domestics SOC 2010 9233 · Level 1 | Very low -1.74 2th percentile | -1.24 | 508,000 | £17,899 | Article |
AIOE scores are standardised (mean 0, SD 1 across ~365 occupations); higher means more of the job's required abilities overlap with what current AI applications can do. Pay is the median gross annual pay for full-time employees.
Methodology
- AI exposure. We use the AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) scores published by the Department for Education in The impact of AI on UK jobs and training (November 2023), Annex 1. DfE adapted the method of Felten, Raj and Seamans: ten AI applications (such as language modelling, image recognition and translation) are scored against 52 O*NET human abilities, then weighted by how much each UK occupation (SOC 2010 4-digit) relies on those abilities. We show both the "all AI" score and DfE's large language model (LLM) score.
- Bands. Bands are our own: we rank all 365 occupations DfE scored by the all-AI score and split them into fifths (Very low to Very high). The percentile shown is the occupation's position in that ranking.
- Employment and pay. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2020 revised, Table 14 (4-digit SOC 2010): number of employee jobs (Table 14.1a, all employees) and median gross annual pay for full-time employees (Table 14.7a). We use 2020 because it is the latest ASHE edition published on SOC 2010, the same classification as the DfE scores, so no crosswalk is needed.
- Selection. Of 293 occupations with both an exposure score and published ASHE figures, we include the 100 with the most employee jobs.
Limitations
- Exposure is not risk of job loss. AIOE measures overlap between a job's abilities and AI capabilities. Highly exposed jobs may be augmented (made more productive) rather than replaced; DfE says the same.
- Pay and job counts are 2020. Pay has risen since; use the figures for comparison between occupations, not as current salaries. 2020 was also affected by the pandemic and furlough.
- Employee jobs only. ASHE excludes the self-employed, so counts for trades, drivers and creative work are understated.
- US ability data. The ability profiles come from the US O*NET system mapped to UK occupations, and the AI capability assessment reflects AI as of the original research, before the latest generative AI tools.
- Broad "n.e.c." (not elsewhere classified) groups mix very different jobs. Treat any single score as indicative.
Sources
- Department for Education (2023). The impact of AI on UK jobs and training, report and Annex 1 data. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Office for National Statistics (2020, revised 2021). Earnings and hours worked, occupation by four-digit SOC 2010: ASHE Table 14. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Felten, E., Raj, M. and Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence. Strategic Management Journal. AIOE data.
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