Mostly Resilient

Last Update: 8/30/2026

AI Resilience Score for Installation & Repair Worker:

56.3%

Median Score

Meaningful human contribution

High

Long-term employer demand

Med

Sustained economic opportunity

Low

Our confidence in this score:
Medium

Methodology and Scoring Rationale

To score how resilient installation and repair work is to AI, we ask one question in three parts:

First, how much of the job still needs a human, read from five AI-exposure sources: our own AI Resilience Model, Anthropic's Observed Exposure, Microsoft's AI Applicability, Will Robots Take My Job, and OpenAI Signals. We call this dimension Meaningful Human Contribution (MHC) and weight it at 40%.

Next, whether employers will keep hiring for this job over the long term. This dimension, which we call Long-term Employer Demand (LTE), is calculated from BLS data and weighted at 30%.

Last, whether pay and mobility will hold up. We use wage bill and adaptive capacity data from independent researchers (Althoff & Reichardt, 2026; Manning & Aguirre, 2026). We call this dimension Sustained Economic Opportunity (SEO) and weight it at 30%.

For installation and repair workers, five of eight sources had data. The sources that did weigh in mostly agreed: hands-on physical work keeps AI exposure low to medium, with AI Resilience Model rating it High and Microsoft rating it Medium. Employer demand looks steady, but pay and mobility signals pulled the economic score down, landing this career at "Mostly Resilient" with medium confidence.

AI Resilience Report forInstallation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other

$49,230 median salary•18,300 annual openings•SOC Code: 49-9099.00

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 5 sources.

This career holds up well against AI because the core work is deeply hands-on and unpredictable, requiring real human judgment, physical dexterity, and on-the-spot problem solving that robots and software simply cannot replicate in the field. AI tools like predictive maintenance software are entering the picture, but they act more like a helpful assistant, flagging problems early and helping prioritize repairs, while a skilled technician still has to show up, diagnose the issue, and do the actual fix.

Learn more about how you can thrive in this position

This role is mostly resilient

This career holds up well against AI because the core work is deeply hands-on and unpredictable, requiring real human judgment, physical dexterity, and on-the-spot problem solving that robots and software simply cannot replicate in the field. AI tools like predictive maintenance software are entering the picture, but they act more like a helpful assistant, flagging problems early and helping prioritize repairs, while a skilled technician still has to show up, diagnose the issue, and do the actual fix.

Read full analysis

Analysis of current AI resilience

Installation & Repair Worker

Updated quarterly

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Latest AI news for Installation & Repair Worker

These articles highlight that careers in installation, maintenance, and repair are among the least threatened by AI advancements. For instance, Anthropic's research shows skilled trades are less likely to face job loss due to their reliance on physical skills and human judgment. Additionally, the McKinsey article emphasizes collaboration between humans and robots, indicating that AI can enhance rather than replace these roles. This suggests a resilient future for students entering this field, where adaptability and hands-on expertise will remain crucial.

More Career Info

Career: Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other

They fix and set up various equipment and systems, ensuring everything works correctly and safely in different settings.

Employment & Wage Data

Median Wage

$49,230

Jobs (2025)

205,200

Growth (2025-35)

+2.6%

Annual Openings

18,300

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035

Task-Level AI Resilience Scores

AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years

1

88% ResilienceSupplemental

Replace defective shrouds, and splice connections between shrouds and harnesses, using hand tools.

2

86% ResilienceSupplemental

Pull knots to the wrong sides of garments, using hooks.

3

85% ResilienceSupplemental

Re-knit runs and replace broken threads, using latch needles.

4

82% ResilienceSupplemental

Repair holes by weaving thread over them, using needles.

5

80% ResilienceSupplemental

Sew fringe, tassels, and ruffles onto drapes and curtains, and buttons and trimming onto garments.

6

78% ResilienceCore Task

Patch holes, sew tears and ripped seams, or darn defects in items, using needles and thread or sewing machines.

7

72% ResilienceCore Task

Operate sewing machines to restitch defective seams, sew up holes, or replace components of fabric articles.

Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.

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