US dataswitch to UK
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
adjusting power production systems to meet load and distribution demands, maintaining electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, performing pre- and post-installation pressure and preparing newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation. 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: preparing and maintaining logs, reports or other documentation of work. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.
That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, performing pre- and post-installation pressure, stays yours. The tools change hands, the accountability doesn't.
Your week, as this page understands it
All installation, maintenance, and repair workers not listed separately. The job title says “installation”, “maintenance”, “repair workers” or “all other”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: performing pre- and post-installation pressure. 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 installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other is not one task. It is 24 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is performing pre- and post-installation pressure, and the ledger below shows exactly why.
Where the work sits, by task weight
- shifting to AI
- 15%
- changing shape
- 9%
- staying human
- 75%
These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.
Whole-job exposure score 25 out of 100 (21–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 24 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 installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other 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 2026-08-04. 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
3 tasksTasks 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.
Preparing and maintaining logs, reports or other documentation of work
This is reading one thing and writing another: logs, reports or other documentation of work in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 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: Writing up work performed is routine documentation software drafts well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · 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.
Identifying equipment options, such as compressors and making appropriate selections
This is reading one thing and writing another: equipment options in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.” (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: Comparing compressors against published specifications is research and matching.
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.
Calculating heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems
This is reading one thing and writing another: heat loss in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal 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: Heat loss and gain calculations are standard formulas already built into software.
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.
Changing shape
3 tasksTasks 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.
Determining whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions
The software now makes the first pass at whether emergency, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 51 out of 100 (44–58 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: The calculation is documented, though the deciding details are about this particular property.
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 2/4.
Designing and laying out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics
The software now makes the first pass at geothermal heat systems, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 49 out of 100 (42–56 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: Layout design is drawing and calculation work, though it must fit the actual property and local rules.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · 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.
Determining the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs
The software now makes the first pass at the type of geothermal loop system most suitable, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.” (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 a loop type follows documented rules applied to what the site offers.
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
18 tasksTasks 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.
Collecting and recording data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields
This work happens in the physical world: data, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 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: Much plant data is logged automatically, but some readings still need someone at the well field.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · 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.
Monitoring and adjusting operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems
This work happens in the physical world: operations of geothermal power plant equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.” (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: Plant data can be watched remotely, but adjusting the equipment often means being there.
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.
Identifying and correcting malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment
This work happens in the physical world: malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Identify and correct malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, or controls.” (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: Finding and fixing a fault in plant equipment happens with hands on the equipment.
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.
Adjusting power production systems to meet load and distribution demands
This work happens in the physical world: power production systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · SupplementalSource: “Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 25 out of 100 (18–32 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: Load adjustments follow documented procedures, but the controls are worked on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Show the other 14 tasks
Testing water sources
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: water sources, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Test water sources for factors, such as flow volume and contaminant presence.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (3–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium 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: Samples are taken and tested by hand, even if the numbers are interpreted afterwards.
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.
Installing, maintaining
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: ground, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Install, maintain, or repair ground or water source-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool residential or commercial building air or water.” (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: Heat pumps are installed and repaired physically.
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.
Backfilling piping trenches to protect pipes from damage
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: trenches, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.” (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: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Backfilling a trench is machine and shovel 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 2/4.
Digging trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and laying piping in trenches
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: trenches, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Dig trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and lay piping in trenches.” (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: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Trenching and laying pipe is heavy outdoor 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 2/4.
Preparing newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: installed geothermal heat systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Prepare newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation by flushing, purging, or other actions.” (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: Flushing and purging a new system is physical commissioning 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.
Installing and maintaining geothermal system instrumentation or controls
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: geothermal system instrumentation, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Install and maintain geothermal system instrumentation or controls.” (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: Instruments and controls are mounted and wired by hand.
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.
Maintaining electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges and controlling equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Maintain electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges, and control equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures.” (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: Switchgear is maintained by hand, under safety rules.
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.
Maintaining, calibrating or repairing plant instrumentation, controlling and electronic devices in geothermal plants
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: plant instrumentation, controlling and electronic devices, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Maintain, calibrate, or repair plant instrumentation, control, and electronic devices in geothermal plants.” (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: Calibrating and repairing instruments is hands-on 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.
Performing pre- and post-installation pressure
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: pre-, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Perform pre- and post-installation pressure, flow, and related tests of vertical and horizontal geothermal loop piping.” (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: Pressure testing pipework is done at the pipes.
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.
Applying coatings or operating systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: coatings, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Apply coatings or operate systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures.” (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: Coatings against corrosion are applied by hand to 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.
Installing and maintaining geothermal plant electrical protection equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: geothermal plant electrical protection equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Install and maintain geothermal plant electrical protection equipment.” (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: Protection equipment is fitted and maintained physically.
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.
Integrating hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: hot water heater systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems.” (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: Connecting water heaters to the heat exchange system is plumbing 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.
Operating equipment, such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Operate equipment, such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubing units (CTU).” (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: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Operating excavators and backhoes needs an operator in the seat.
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 2/4.
Welding piping, such as high density polyethylene, HDPE) piping, using techniques, butt, socket, side-wall and electro-fusion welding
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: as high density polyethylene, hdpe), in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding.” (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: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Welding pipe is a physical skill performed with equipment at the joint.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
What this job pays, and how many people do it
- Median pay
- $49,230a 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
- 176,300in 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: logs, reports or other documentation of work in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: preparing and maintaining logs, reports or other documentation of work and identifying equipment options, such as compressors and making appropriate selections. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where pre- gets 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
Start with what does not change: performing pre- and post-installation pressure is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.
So, given all that: 15% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 9% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 75% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 24 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.
So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Preparing and maintaining logs, reports or other documentation of work is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.
This week: one thing
Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to logs, reports or other documentation of work, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.
- What you end up holding
- a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
- How long it takes
- ten minutes
If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether operations of geothermal power plant equipment are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.
Over the next 90 days
Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near determining whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.
Over the next 12 months
On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. 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 installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was industrial production managers: only about 5% of its durable work is work you already do and the 2.6× pay gap is the market pricing a barrier. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 25/100 here, with only 15% of the task list in the top band, and “collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well…” 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.
Industrial Production Managers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields, and their equivalent is to supervise employees in geothermal power plants or well fields. 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. The pay gap is the market pricing a barrier: $126,060 against your $49,230 is 2.56× (OEWS May 2025 (both)), and you would be crossing it holding about 5% of their durable work. A gap that size with an overlap that small is a wish, not a route.
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems, and their equivalent is to adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and…. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 28,250 of those jobs against 176,300 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 16% as many seats.
Power Plant Operators
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems, and their equivalent is to monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as…. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. The pay gap is the market pricing a barrier: $102,040 against your $49,230 is 2.07× (OEWS May 2025 (both)), and you would be crossing it holding about 2% of their durable work. A gap that size with an overlap that small is a wish, not a route. And it is a narrow door: about 29,320 of those jobs against 176,300 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 17% as many seats.
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: 15% of its task weight, across 24 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like performing pre- and post-installation pressure arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
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 Textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c. 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
In UK official statistics this job is counted as Textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c.. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.
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No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it
Nothing Collab365 runs is built for installation / maintenance / repair workers / all other, 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 15% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.
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The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for installation / maintenance / repair workers / all other. 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.
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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 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other?
- Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 24 official task statements scored for Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other (United States, SOC 49-9099), 15% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 25 out of 100 (range 21–30, 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 “Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other” can AI already do?
- The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed” (93/100, very high); “Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems” (75/100, high); “Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections” (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 “Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other” stay human?
- About 75% 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: “Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding” (0/100, minimal); “Operate equipment, such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubin…” (0/100, minimal); “Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems” (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 “Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other” do about AI?
- Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 15% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 75% 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 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other 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 24 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 2026-08-04.
- 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.
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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}
}Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . 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.