Will AI replace Broadcast Technicians?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 27 official task statements scored for Broadcast Technicians (United States, SOC 27-4012), 24% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 38 out of 100 (range 33–44, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Broadcast Technicians” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission” (88/100, very high); “Schedule programming or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired” (83/100, very high); “Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content” (75/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.

Which tasks in “Broadcast Technicians” stay human?

About 59% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools” (0/100, minimal); “Set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio” (0/100, minimal); “Align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Broadcast Technicians” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 24% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 59% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Broadcast Technicians calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 27 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

US dataswitch to UK

Broadcast Technicians

reporting equipment problems, recording sound onto tape or film for radio or television and selecting sources from which programming will be received or through which programming. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI is already taking a real slice of the routine work here: maintaining programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 24%
changing shape: 17%
staying human: 59%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 38 out of 100 (33–44 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 27 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for broadcast technicians is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, reporting equipment problems, stays yours. New tools, same person answering for it.

Your week, as this page understands it

Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs. The job title says “broadcast technicians”. The real job is the part underneath: reporting equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made and making emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But broadcast technicians is not one task. It is 27 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is reporting equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made and making emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 24%
changing shape: 17%
staying human: 59%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

7 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Monitoring and logging transmitter readings
This is reading one thing and writing another: transmitter readings in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Monitor and log transmitter readings.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 61 out of 100 (57–65 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Transmitter readings are logged automatically by the equipment itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Playing and recording broadcast programs
This is reading one thing and writing another: broadcast programs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Playing and recording programs is already run by station automation systems.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Maintaining programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission
This is reading one thing and writing another: logs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 88 out of 100 (84–92 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping programming logs to station and FCC requirements is record-keeping software handles reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Scheduling programming or reading television programming logs to determine which programs
This is reading one thing and writing another: television programming logs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Schedule programming or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 83 out of 100 (79–87 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading programming logs to work out what airs is scheduling work software does well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Changing shape

4 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Substituting programs in cases where signals fail
The software now makes the first pass at programs, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Substitute programs in cases where signals fail.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Swapping in substitute programming when a signal fails is a rule-based switch systems can make.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Previewing scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission
The software now makes the first pass at scheduled programs, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Previewing programs to confirm they are ready is a check software performs well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Selecting sources from which programming will be received or through which programming
The software now makes the first pass at sources, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Select sources from which programming will be received or through which programming will be transmitted.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Choosing programming sources and routes is a scheduling decision automation handles well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

16 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Reporting equipment problems
This work happens in the physical world: equipment problems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · Core
Source: “Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 24 out of 100 (17–31 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Reporting faults is easy to automate, but emergency repairs mean hands on the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring strength, clarity and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals and adjusting equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts
This work happens in the physical world: strength, clarity and reliability of incoming, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Signal monitoring is automated, but correcting the problem often means adjusting real equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Observing monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing
This work happens in the physical world: monitors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 24 out of 100 (17–31 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Watching monitors can be automated; checking with studio staff happens in the control room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Show the other 17 tasks

Preparing reports outlining past and future programs
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: reports outlining past in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing reports on past and planned programming is document work AI drafts well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing employee work schedules
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: employee work schedules in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Develop employee work schedules.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (68–82 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Building staff rotas is scheduling work software does well, given the constraints.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Making commercial dubs
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: commercial dubs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Make commercial dubs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Making commercial dubs is a routine copying job that software performs automatically.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Editing broadcast material electronically, using computers
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at broadcast material, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Edit broadcast material electronically, using computers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 58 out of 100 (51–65 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Software can assemble a rough cut, but a broadcast-standard edit still needs an editor's judgement throughout.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording sound onto tape or film for radio or television
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: sound, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Record sound onto tape or film for radio or television, checking its quality and making adjustments where necessary.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Recording and checking sound quality involves the studio equipment and a trained ear.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Determining the number, type and approximate location of microphones needed for best sound recording or transmission quality and positioning them appropriately
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: the number, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Determine the number, type, and approximate location of microphones needed for best sound recording or transmission quality, and position them appropriately.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Choosing microphone types and positions depends on hearing the actual room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Setting up, operate and maintaining broadcast station computers and networks
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: up, operate and maintaining broadcast station computers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Setting up and maintaining station computers and networks needs someone physically at the machines.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Discussing production requirements with clients
staying human
The value here is that a specific person handles production requirements and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Discuss production requirements with clients.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Pinning down what a client actually wants is a live conversation.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Instructing trainees in use of television production equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: trainees, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Instruct trainees in use of television production equipment, filming of events, and copying and editing graphics or sound onto videotape.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 20 out of 100 (13–27 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Teaching trainees to use production equipment means showing them on the gear itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Controlling audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: audio equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Control audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (10–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Riding audio levels during a broadcast means hands on the desk as it happens.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Regulating the fidelity, brightness and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: the fidelity, brightness and contrast of video transmissions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Regulate the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (10–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Adjusting picture quality on console panels means hands on the controls during transmission.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Organizing recording sessions and preparing areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: sessions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Organize recording sessions and prepare areas, such as radio booths and television stations, for recording.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (6–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Preparing booths and studios for a session is physical setup work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Designing and modifying equipment to employer specifications
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Design and modify equipment to employer specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Designing and modifying equipment ends with building and fitting real hardware.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Giving technical directions to other personnel during filming
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: technical directions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Give technical directions to other personnel during filming.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 6 out of 100 (2–10 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Giving technical direction during filming means being on set as it happens.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Aligning antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: antennae, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Aligning antennae and dishes for a clear signal is physical work at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Setting up and operating portable field transmission equipment outside the studio
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: and operating portable field transmission equipment outside, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Field transmission kit has to be carried, rigged and run on location.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Installing broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems and performing maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: broadcast equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Installing and repairing broadcast gear with hand tools is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $59,570a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 21,110in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: transmitter readings in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: maintaining programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission and monitoring and logging transmitter readings. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where equipment problems get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Your week is splitting in two, and which half fills it is the whole question. Maintaining programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission is going; reporting equipment problems is not.

So, given all that: 24% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 17% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 59% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 27 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

The occupation is an average and you are not, so the first job below is finding out where your own week actually sits.

This week: one thing

Print the task ledger above and put your own hours next to each row. Roughly, in pen, in one sitting. Then look at which group your hours actually pile up in. Twenty minutes, this week.

What you end up holding: your own week, on one page, sorted into what is shifting and what is not
How long it takes: about twenty minutes

If printing it isn’t practical: Read the rows off this page and write the same list on the back of an envelope. Same twenty minutes, same page, and it works just as well said out loud to someone who knows the job. The point is your hours next to the rows, not the paper it is on.

Over the next 90 days

Volunteer toward the durable end, visibly. Over the next ninety days put your hand up for the work in the bottom group (reporting equipment problems) and let people see you doing it. Not a new project: the same job, with your mix deliberately tilted. The point is that when the rota or the reorganisation comes, the version of you people picture is the one doing the part that stays.

Over the next 12 months

Claim a specialism at the durable end and let the other end go. Over a year, deliberately become the person who handles reporting equipment problems, and deliberately stop being the first choice for the rows in the top group. That trade costs something, because the exposed work is often the comfortable work. Decide it on purpose rather than by drift. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to broadcast technicians (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was sound engineering technicians: only about 7% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 38/100 here, with only 24% of the task list in the top band, and “report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Sound Engineering Technicians
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to…, and their equivalent is to report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made. Across both published task lists that is about 7% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 7% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems, and their equivalent is to coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs. Across both published task lists that is about 5% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 5% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks, and their equivalent is to set up and perform live shots for broadcast. Across both published task lists that is about 4% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 4% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 24% of its task weight, across 27 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The whole-job doom story
Nothing on this page says this job ends. It says the mix inside it moves. Half the rows above are unchanged or changing shape, and the plan is about which half your week sits in. That is a very different problem, and a solvable one.
Panic-buying a course
Do the twenty-minute sorting exercise first. Most people who buy a course before they have done it buy the wrong one, and the free services listed below will tell you the same thing without charging for it.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

Electronics engineers (professional)

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators and Electronics engineers (professional). Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
American Job Center locator
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
- CareerOneStop local help hub
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop
Free

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for broadcast technicians, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 24% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for broadcast technicians. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for broadcast technicians launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for broadcast technicians yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for broadcast technicians existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for broadcast technicians launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Broadcast Technicians?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 27 official task statements scored for Broadcast Technicians (United States, SOC 27-4012), 24% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 38 out of 100 (range 33–44, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Broadcast Technicians” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission” (88/100, very high); “Schedule programming or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired” (83/100, very high); “Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content” (75/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Broadcast Technicians” stay human?: About 59% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools” (0/100, minimal); “Set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio” (0/100, minimal); “Align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Broadcast Technicians” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 24% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 59% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Broadcast Technicians calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 27 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

How we score a job Download this release Look up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.