AI Impact Analysis · 2026 · 111 Occupations

AI-Proof Jobs
in 2026

Not every role is at risk. These 111 occupations score below 40/100 on the JobForesight AI exposure index — meaning current and near-term language models can't reliably automate the core tasks involved.

What makes a job AI-proof? Three things, mostly. Physical presence in unpredictable environments — a plumber crawling under a sink, a paramedic on a stretcher, a glazier on scaffolding. Multi-step social judgement where the cost of being wrong is high — therapists reading between the lines, social workers weighing competing accounts, judges deciding what a reasonable person would do.

And regulated accountability — work where a human has to sign their name to the outcome and answer to a regulator, a court, or a coroner if something goes wrong. Current language models can draft the document; they can't be the licensed person who takes responsibility for it.

The roles below score below 40/100 on the JobForesight exposure index. Most of them combine at least two of those three properties. We've also given each one a time window — because AI-proof today doesn't mean AI-proof in 2030, and we'd rather show you the 5-year horizon honestly than pretend any job is permanently safe.

Window: 36–60 years

Early Years Educator

Window: 48–72 years

Window: 72–180 years

Chief Executive Officer

Window: 48–72 years

Window: 36–60 years

Window: 36–60 years

Non-Executive Director

Window: 48–72 years

Window: 60–120 years

Window: 36–60 years

Primary School Teacher

Window: 36–60 years

Physiotherapist

Window: 30–60 years

Window: 15–22 years

Window: 60–120 years

Chief Data Officer

Window: 60–96 years

Window: 60–180 years

Chief People Officer

Window: 12–20 years

Occupational Therapist

Window: 30–60 years

Chief Financial Officer

Window: 96–144 years

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 60–120 years

Window: 36–60 years

Managing Director

Window: 36–60 years

Window: 48–84 years

Chief Operating Officer

Window: 36–60 years

Dental Hygienist

Window: 30–60 years

Window: 48–84 years

Chief Technology Officer

Window: 36–60 years

Secondary School Teacher

Window: 30–48 years

Window: 36–96 years

Application Architect

Window: 36–60 years

Biomedical Engineer

Window: 36–60 years

Business Unit Director

Window: 28–48 years

Window: 12–18 years

Aerospace Engineer

Window: 36–60 years

Clinical Psychologist

Window: 48–72 years

Criminal Defence Lawyer

Window: 36–60 years

Speech & Language Therapist

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 60–180 years

Creative Director

Window: 36–60 years

Window: 24–48 years

Finance Director

Window: 36–60 years

General Manager

Window: 24–48 years

Organisational Psychologist

Window: 36–72 years

Window: 30–60 years

Solutions Architect

Window: 8–15 years

Structural Engineer

Window: 30–60 years

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 30–54 years

Communications Director

Window: 10–20 years

Chemical Engineer

Window: 30–54 years

Cybersecurity Analyst

Window: 36–60 years

Developer Advocate

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 30–54 years

Diversity & Inclusion Manager

Window: 36–60 years

Window: 18–36 years

Enterprise Architect

Window: 30–54 years

Environmental Engineer

Window: 30–54 years

Occupational Health Advisor

Window: 8–15 years

Window: 72–96 years

Property Developer

Window: 36–60 years

Strategy Director

Window: 24–42 years

Teaching Assistant

Window: 24–42 years

Chief Marketing Officer

Window: 24–42 years

Cybersecurity Engineer

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 30–54 years

Mechanical Engineer

Window: 30–54 years

Pharmaceutical Scientist

Window: 36–60 years

Electrical Engineer

Window: 28–52 years

Energy Engineer

Window: 26–48 years

Platform Engineer

Window: 30–54 years

Product Manager

Window: 36–60 years

Research Scientist

Window: 24–48 years

Solutions Engineer

Window: 18–36 years

Account Director

Window: 30–60 years

Window: 36–60 years

Change Management Consultant

Window: 8–15 years

Financial Planner

Window: 8–14 years

Machine Learning Engineer

Window: 36–60 years

Transformation Director

Window: 20–40 years

Window: 24–48 years

Brand Strategist

Window: 36–60 years

Employee Relations Manager

Window: 6–12 years

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 30–54 years

Site Reliability Engineer

Window: 24–48 years

Creative Strategist

Window: 30–60 years

Window: 30–54 years

Window: 36–60 years

Service Designer

Window: 18–36 years

AI Product Manager

Window: 18–36 years

Broadcast Journalist

Window: 36–60 years

Window: 30–54 years

Drug Regulatory Affairs Manager

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 24–48 years

Landscape Architect

Window: 18–36 years

Legal Consultant

Window: 24–48 years

Marine Biologist

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 24–48 years

Programme Director

Window: 18–36 years

Relationship Manager

Window: 36–60 years

Restaurant Manager

Window: 24–42 years

Security Architect

Window: 24–48 years

Software Developer

Window: 6–12 years

University Lecturer

Window: 18–36 years

Utility Engineer

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 60–84 years

Window: 6–12 years

Community Manager

Window: 24–48 years

Window: 24–42 years

Window: 18–30 years

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