Unveiled: The Surprisingly High Salaries of Jobs That AI Can’t Replace—Microsoft’s Top 40 List Reveals All

So, you’re hunting for a job that robots can’t swipe from you, and actually pays the bills—am I right? Well, buckle up, because with AI exploding faster than a microwave burrito on high, the old playground where you competed against your neighbors has become a worldwide arena. Suddenly, it’s not just humans you’re up against—it’s tireless AI bots pulling 24/7 shifts without so much as a coffee break. The good news? Certain jobs are still firmly in the “safe zone,” and surprisingly, some of these gigs come with decent paychecks that could actually put a roof over your head. Think dredge operators and hospital orderlies, not just some mythical creature! Before you trade that keyboard for a pile driver, let’s dive into the real scoop on which careers are AI-proof and worth your time—and bank account. Ready to find out where you stand in this robot-infested job market? LEARN MORE

Looking for a job which is both safe from robots and will pay enough to cover the bills? Well, you’re in the right place.

The sheer explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) in the past couple of years has left most of us wondering what the future holds when it comes to employment.

In the not-so-distant past, joining the job market meant competing with your peers and neighbours.

Then, thanks to the creation of the internet, things got a whole load tougher as remote working allowed for a wider pool of applicants for every post – which means more ‘We won’t be taking your application any further’ emails for young hopefuls desperate to make it onto the employment ladder.

It’s only going to get worse from here, as we’re no longer competing with other humans for jobs, but also with AI robots.

AI could have a lot of us looking like this in the near future (Getty Stock Image)

And unlike humans – who need time to eat, sleep and get sad without sufficient downtime – AI can just keep ticking over for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Fortunately, it’s not bad news for all of us, as there are certain jobs which AI simply cannot do at the moment, with a recently released list from Microsoft revealing that phlebotomists, embalmers and manual labourers can sleep soundly at night.

Top of the list is something called a ‘dredge operator’ which involves removing sand, gravel or sediment to maintain waterways, with the rest of the list being made up of manual labourers with specialist training and hospital orderlies.

You can see the full list of 40 most and least at risk jobs, as well as the method which Microsoft used to work this out here or take a look at the table, which is in reverse order, below.

The Top 40 AI safe jobs, in reverse order (Reddit)

But before you rush down to your local job centre, it might make sense to check out the average salary for each of the above jobs. As there’s no point retraining in a role which can’t keep a roof over your head.

Average salary of most ‘AI-proof jobs’ revealed

According to numerous salary estimates from the UK and the US, your best shot at making money and surviving the AI jobs revolution is to be a pile driver operator. A job which requires the ability to competently operate heavy machinery, this role could earn you an average of £45k (or $79k) each year.

Meanwhile, bridge and lock tenders, logging equipment operators and rail maintenance workers are also pretty decent options.

Take a look at the ‘Top 10 safest AI jobs’ – and the annual median salary* in the US and UK below:

• Dredge operators – £30.4k ($47k)
• Bridge & lock tenders – £32,4k ($53,6k)
• Water treatment plant & system operators – £25.9k ($56k)
• Foundry mold & coremakers – £26.5k ($28.7k)
• Rail-Track laying & maintenance equip. operators – £30.5k ($70.6k)
• Pile driver operators – £45k ($79k)
• Floor sanders & finishers – £22.3k ($16.31 p/h)
• Orderlies – £24.3k ($30.2k)
• Motorboat operators – £34.8k ($36.9k)
• Logging equipment operators – £30.5k ($45.5k)

*Depending on location and experience.

According to Microsoft, we need to learn how to operate a pile driver (Getty Stock Image)

Meanwhile, the jobs most at threat from AI include: translators, writers, data scientists and most customer service jobs.

Perhaps something to remember whenever you’re relying on ChatGPT to complete day-to-day tasks.