Entry-level jobs safe from AI: lower-exposure jobs you can start without a degree
The entry-level jobs with the lowest AI exposure are hands-on: orderlies, physical therapist aides, veterinary assistants, aircraft service attendants and sports officials all sit in the bottom half of Microsoft's 785-occupation ranking and under 60/100 on our risk score, at BLS medians of about $32K to $58K. The classic first office jobs, customer service, data entry and call centres, are on the other side. Customer service representatives sit near the very top of Microsoft's ranking.
That 5/100 is the average for the roles on this list. What's yours?
Experience moves this number a long way in both directions, and it is the only thing about you we cannot read off this page. Answer two questions and GPT-4o writes you the 3 moves that keep you on the safe side of this, the skills gap for each, and a 90-day plan — free, in about 30 seconds.
How long have you been working?
Your own risk score and 3 AI-resistant paths start writing on the next screen. Free, no card, about 30 seconds. Skip the questions.
New · every week
New remote roles in your field — with each one's AI-exposure score — every week
10–15 remote postings from the past week, picked from company career pages and the Himalayas and Jobicy boards. Each shows how exposed the occupation is to AI, from Microsoft's 2025 study of 785 jobs. You apply on the original posting.
Our risk score
5–58/100
Microsoft exposure
p0–p45
BLS median pay
$32,600–$57,700
What the roles that hold up share is physical presence with people, animals or equipment, which is work a chatbot can't do. Pay is modest, but several of these roles are recognised first steps into nursing, veterinary work, aviation or live entertainment. If you're starting out, the safest-looking desk job may be the riskiest one.
We define entry-level the way O*NET does: Job Zone 2, meaning some preparation like a high-school diploma, a short course or on-the-job training. Supervisor and manager roles are dropped even when O*NET files them in Zone 2, because you're promoted into those, not hired into them. Skilled trades have their own list.
How this list was built
Every O*NET Job Zone 2 occupation in our database, minus supervisors, managers and skilled trades. Kept only if Microsoft's AI applicability percentile is 50 or lower and our risk score is under 60, then ranked by our risk score, lowest first.
Each role shows two different numbers. Our risk score (0–100) is the one on its job page. AI applicability comes from Microsoft's 2025 study of Copilot use across 785 occupations. Lower means less exposure on both. Neither one is a promise about any single job.
The list
| Role | Our risk | Microsoft percentile | BLS median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crematory Operators | 5/100 | p44 | $43,650 |
| Aircraft Service Attendants | 20/100 | p24 | $40,450 |
| Actors | 21/100 | p45 | not published |
| Costume Attendants | 31/100 | p34 | $50,400 |
| Motion Picture Projectionists | 33/100 | p13 | $38,270 |
| Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials | 33/100 | p28 | $40,710 |
| Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 47/100 | p7 | $38,150 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | 47/100 | p8 | $35,240 |
| Sailors and Marine Oilers | 47/100 | p17 | $51,520 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 48/100 | p25 | $41,730 |
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | 49/100 | p7 | $35,760 |
| Orderlies | 50/100 | p0 | $38,290 |
| Shampooers | 51/100 | p31 | $32,600 |
| Psychiatric Aides | 52/100 | p19 | $44,910 |
| Pharmacy Aides | 54/100 | p29 | $37,680 |
| Bridge and Lock Tenders | 57/100 | p0 | $57,700 |
| Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | 58/100 | p11 | $37,800 |
1.Crematory Operators
Risk: 5/100- AI applicability 0.13: the 44th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $43,650
Operate crematory equipment to reduce human or animal remains to bone fragments in accordance with state and local regulations.
2.Aircraft Service Attendants
Risk: 20/100- AI applicability 0.08: the 24th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $40,450
Service aircraft with fuel.
3.Actors
Risk: 21/100- AI applicability 0.13: the 45th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: not published
Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble.
4.Costume Attendants
Risk: 31/100- AI applicability 0.10: the 34th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $50,400
Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
5.Motion Picture Projectionists
Risk: 33/100- AI applicability 0.05: the 13th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $38,270
Set up and operate motion picture projection and related sound reproduction equipment.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as rotating or replacing xenon bulbs, cleaning projectors and lenses, lubricating machinery, and keeping electrical contacts clean and tight.
6.Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
Risk: 33/100- AI applicability 0.09: the 28th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $40,710
Officiate at competitive athletic or sporting events.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Teach and explain the rules and regulations governing a specific sport.
Full breakdown for Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials →
7.Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Risk: 47/100- AI applicability 0.03: the 7th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $38,150
Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
Full breakdown for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers →
8.Physical Therapist Aides
Risk: 47/100- AI applicability 0.04: the 8th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $35,240
Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
9.Sailors and Marine Oilers
Risk: 47/100- AI applicability 0.06: the 17th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $51,520
Stand watch to look for obstructions in path of vessel, measure water depth, turn wheel on bridge, or use emergency equipment as directed by captain, mate, or pilot.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
10.Agricultural Equipment Operators
Risk: 48/100- AI applicability 0.08: the 25th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $41,730
Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
11.Manicurists and Pedicurists
Risk: 49/100- AI applicability 0.04: the 7th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $35,760
Clean and shape customers' fingernails and toenails.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Advise clients on nail care and use of products and colors.
12.Orderlies
Risk: 50/100- AI applicability 0.00: the very bottom of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $38,290
Transport patients to areas such as operating rooms or x-ray rooms using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
13.Shampooers
Risk: 51/100- AI applicability 0.09: the 31st percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $32,600
Shampoo and rinse customers' hair.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Advise patrons with chronic or potentially contagious scalp conditions to seek medical treatment.
14.Psychiatric Aides
Risk: 52/100- AI applicability 0.07: the 19th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $44,910
Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
15.Pharmacy Aides
Risk: 54/100- AI applicability 0.09: the 29th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $37,680
Record drugs delivered to the pharmacy, store incoming merchandise, and inform the supervisor of stock needs.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Providing empathy and emotional support
16.Bridge and Lock Tenders
Risk: 57/100- AI applicability 0.00: the very bottom of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $57,700
Operate and tend bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses to permit marine passage on inland waterways, near shores, and at danger points in waterway passages.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Perform maintenance duties, such as sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities clean and in order.
17.Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
Risk: 58/100- AI applicability 0.05: the 11th percentile of 785 occupations
- BLS median pay: $37,800
Construct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles.
A task our analysis keeps with a person: Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
What to look for in a first job now
On this list, low exposure comes from one of three things: hands on a patient or an animal, being physically on site when something happens, or running equipment that moves. The more of your day falls into one of those, the less of it a language model can do.
Use a first job as a ladder, not a destination. Physical therapist aides, psychiatric aides and pharmacy aides sit inside healthcare teams that hire and train from within. Aircraft service attendants sit inside aviation. Each one is a cheap way to test a field before paying for a credential.
Common first jobs with high AI exposure
These are the jobs most people picture as "entry-level". All of them score high on both measures:
- Customer Service Representatives: risk 90/100 · AI applicability 0.41: the 99th percentile of 785 occupations · BLS median not published
- Cashiers: risk 86/100 · AI applicability 0.30: the 88th percentile of 785 occupations · BLS median not published
- Data Entry Keyers: risk 93/100 · AI applicability 0.32: the 91st percentile of 785 occupations · BLS median not published
- Retail Salespersons: risk 85/100 · AI applicability 0.30: the 88th percentile of 785 occupations · BLS median not published
Not on the list? Check your own job
We score 1,000+ occupations. Search yours to see both numbers.
New · every week
New remote roles in your field — with each one's AI-exposure score — every week
10–15 remote postings from the past week, picked from company career pages and the Himalayas and Jobicy boards. Each shows how exposed the occupation is to AI, from Microsoft's 2025 study of 785 jobs. You apply on the original posting.
Frequently asked questions
What entry-level job has the lowest AI exposure?
Several hands-on Job Zone 2 jobs, like orderlies and bridge and lock tenders, sit at the very bottom of Microsoft's 2025 ranking for generative-AI applicability. Vet assistants, physical therapist aides and manicurists are also below the 10th percentile.
Is customer service a safe entry-level job?
No. Customer service representatives score 90/100 on our risk score and sit near the top of Microsoft's 785-occupation ranking. Answering questions over chat and phone is one of the most common things people already use AI for.
Do I need a degree for these jobs?
No. Every role here is O*NET Job Zone 2: some preparation such as a high-school diploma, a vocational course or on-the-job training. Some, like psychiatric aide or pharmacy aide, may need a state certificate depending on where you live.
Related
Sources and method
- Risk score: ReplacedByAI's 0–100 score from O*NET task, skill and work-activity data, weighted 40% on the Frey & Osborne computerisation probabilities. Full methodology.
- AI applicability: Kiran Tomlinson, Sonia Jaffe, Will Wang, Scott Counts and Siddharth Suri, “Working with AI: Measuring the Applicability of Generative AI to Occupations” (Microsoft, 2025). Data from microsoft/working-with-ai, licensed CC BY 4.0. Percentiles are our calculation, among its 785occupations. Joined on the 6-digit SOC code, so O*NET specialties share their group's score.
- Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national annual median wage, May 2025.
- Filters: Microsoft percentile 50 or lower and our risk score under 60. “All other” catch-all occupations are excluded.