US dataswitch to UK
Occupational Therapists
testing and evaluating patients' physical and mental abilities and analyzing medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals, training clients to use tactile and assessing clients' functioning in areas. If that's your week, this page is about your job.
The honest answer
AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: training clients to use tactile is work software can't reach.
What shifts is completing and maintaining necessary records. This page scores what today's tools actually do, not headlines.
Your week, as this page understands it
Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual. The job title says “occupational therapists”. The real job is the part underneath: training clients to use tactile. 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 occupational therapists is not one task. It is 38 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is training clients to use tactile, and the ledger below shows exactly why.
Where the work sits, by task weight
- shifting to AI
- 0%
- changing shape
- 11%
- staying human
- 89%
These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.
Whole-job exposure score 20 out of 100 (14–27 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 38 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 occupational therapists 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.
- 1 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
0 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.
Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.
Changing shape
4 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.
Completing and maintaining necessary records
The software now makes the first pass at necessary records, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Complete and maintain necessary records.” (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; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Clinical notes and records are structured documents AI drafts well, though the therapist must stand behind them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Writing reports or completing forms to document assessments
The software now makes the first pass at reports, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.” (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; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Assessment and progress documentation is structured writing that AI produces to a standard clinicians would edit lightly.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Referring clients to services, such as eye care, health care, rehabilitation and counseling
The software now makes the first pass at clients, but someone has to be answerable for the result, and it cannot be the software. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Refer clients to services, such as eye care, health care, rehabilitation, and counseling, to enhance visual and life functioning or when condition exceeds scope of practice.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 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; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Matching a client to the right service is a documented referral decision AI can prepare accurately.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Conducting research in occupational therapy
The software now makes the first pass at research, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Conduct research in occupational therapy.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 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: Occupational therapy research is analysis and writing, which AI supports strongly, though studies need running.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · 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
34 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.
Testing and evaluating patients' physical and mental abilities and analyzing medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals
This work happens in the physical world: patients' physical, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 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; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Testing physical and mental ability is hands-on and, by law, done by a licensed therapist who sets the goals.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Planning, organizing and conducting occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness
This work happens in the physical world: occupational therapy programs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 4 out of 100 (0–8 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Running a therapy program means working physically alongside patients, and only a licensed therapist may do it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Evaluating patients' progress and preparing reports that detail progress
The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for patients' progress, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 36 out of 100 (29–43 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Progress reports are structured write-ups AI drafts well from the therapist's observations and notes.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Selecting activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities
The rules require a named, qualified person to answer for activities, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 27 out of 100 (20–34 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Choosing suitable activities draws on documented therapy practice, though matching them to one person needs clinical judgement.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Training caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy
This work happens in the physical world: caregivers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 12 out of 100 (5–19 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium 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: Caregivers learn to handle and support a patient by being shown, and they need confidence in the person showing them.
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 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Training clients to use tactile
This work happens in the physical world: clients, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.” (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: Training someone to use touch, sound and body awareness is taught physically, through practice with a guide.
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.
Show the other 28 tasks
Participating in professional development activities
staying humanThe ratings behind this row put professional development activities well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Participate in professional development activities, such as reading literature, continuing education, attending conferences, and collaborating with colleagues.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 37 out of 100 (30–44 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.
The rating behind it: Keeping up with the literature and continuing education is reading and study, which AI genuinely speeds up.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring clients' progress to determine whether changes in rehabilitation plans
staying humanThe rules require a named, qualified person to answer for clients' progress, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Monitor clients' progress to determine whether changes in rehabilitation plans are needed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 36 out of 100 (29–43 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Tracking progress against a plan and flagging when it needs changing is analysis of notes AI handles well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Advising on health risks in the workplace or on health-related transition to retirement
staying humanThe ratings behind this row put health risks well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Advise on health risks in the workplace or on health-related transition to retirement.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 32 out of 100 (25–39 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.
The rating behind it: Advice on workplace health risks and retirement transitions is knowledge work with well documented guidance behind it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Designing instructional programs to improve communication
staying humanThe ratings behind this row put instructional programs well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Design instructional programs to improve communication, using devices such as slates and styluses, braillers, keyboards, adaptive handwriting devices, talking book machines, digital books, and optical character readers (OCRs).” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 28 out of 100 (21–35 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Designing a communication program around braillers and adaptive devices is planning work AI can draft.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Consulting with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities
staying humanThe rules require a named, qualified person to answer for rehabilitation team, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 27 out of 100 (20–34 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Coordinating a care plan with the rehab team is documented professional work, largely done in meetings and notes.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recommending appropriate mobility devices or systems
staying humanThe rules require a named, qualified person to answer for appropriate mobility devices, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 27 out of 100 (20–34 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Recommending a mobility aid follows documented criteria, though it depends on assessing this particular person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing patients with assistance in locating or holding jobs
staying humanThe value here is that a specific person handles patients and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Provide patients with assistance in locating or holding jobs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 26 out of 100 (19–33 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Job-search support is partly documented process, but holding a job often depends on someone advocating for you.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · 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 2/4.
Providing consultation, support or education to groups, parents and teachers
staying humanThe value here is that a specific person handles consultation, support or education and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Provide consultation, support, or education to groups such as parents and teachers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 26 out of 100 (19–33 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: Educating parents and teachers is presentation work AI supports, though credibility comes from the professional delivering it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Collaborating with specialists, such as rehabilitation counselors, speech pathologists and occupational therapists, to provide client solutions
staying humanThe value here is that a specific person handles specialists and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Collaborate with specialists, such as rehabilitation counselors, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists, to provide client solutions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 26 out of 100 (19–33 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: Working out a joint plan with other specialists is professional discussion, partly documented and partly judgement.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Helping clients improve decision making
staying humanThe rules require a named, qualified person to answer for clients improve decision, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 23 out of 100 (16–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Cognitive exercise software is well established, but a therapist picks the program and adjusts it to the client.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Developing rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients
staying humanThe rules require a named, qualified person to answer for rehabilitation, and that person cannot be a piece of software.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 23 out of 100 (16–30 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Rehabilitation plans follow a documented structure AI can draft, but goals are agreed with the client together.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recommending changes in patients' work or living environments
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: changes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 19 out of 100 (12–26 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Recommending home or workplace changes needs someone to see the actual space and how the person moves in it.
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 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Designing, and creating or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces and computer-aided adaptive equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: requisition, special supplies and equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 19 out of 100 (12–26 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Designs can be drafted digitally, but fitting and fabricating a splint or brace is physical, skilled work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Developing and participating in health promotion programs
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: health promotion programs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 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 value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Health promotion material is easy to produce, though running the group sessions means being with people.
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 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Teaching self-advocacy skills to clients
staying humanThe value here is that a specific person handles self-advocacy skills and stands behind it. That is earned, not computed.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Teach self-advocacy skills to clients.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Self-advocacy is taught through practice and encouragement from someone the client trusts.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Identifying visual impairments related to basic life skills in areas
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: visual impairments, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Identify visual impairments related to basic life skills in areas such as self care, literacy, communication, health management, home management, and meal preparation.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 16 out of 100 (9–23 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Working out how sight loss affects daily tasks means observing the person doing those tasks.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Providing training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: supervision, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Teaching therapy technique to students and nurses is done by demonstration and supervised practice.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Obtaining, distributing or maintaining low vision devices
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: low vision devices, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Obtain, distribute, or maintain low vision devices.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Ordering can be automated, but fitting and handing over low vision devices is physical.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Administering tests and interpreting test results to develop rehabilitation plans for clients
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: tests, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Administer tests and interpret test results to develop rehabilitation plans for clients.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Standardised tests must be given in person by a qualified therapist, though scoring and writing up the results is far easier.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Assessing clients' functioning in areas
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: clients', in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Assessing vision, mobility and cognition requires a licensed professional working directly with the client.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Planning and implementing programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjusting
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: programs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.” (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: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Programs can be planned on paper, but helping someone adjust to disability depends on a therapeutic relationship.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Training clients to read or write Braille
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: clients, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Train clients to read or write Braille.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 9 out of 100 (2–16 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 value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Braille itself is fully documented, though teaching someone to read it by touch is done in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Training clients to use adaptive equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: clients, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Train clients to use adaptive equipment, such as large print, reading stands, lamps, writing implements, software, and electronic devices.” (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 value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Training someone on magnifiers, writing aids and devices is done by sitting with them and practising.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Teaching independent living skills or techniques
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: independent living skills, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Teach independent living skills or techniques, such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 5 out of 100 (0–12 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Adaptive eating, medication and home management are taught hands-on, in the client's own kitchen and routine.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Laying out materials, puzzles
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: materials, puzzles, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.” (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: Laying out therapy tools, then cleaning and repairing them, is physical preparation 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 1/4.
Teaching cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques and two-point touches
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: cane skills, including cane, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.” (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: Teaching cane technique means guiding a person's body and hands as they walk.
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.
Teaching clients to travel independently
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: clients, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.” (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: Teaching independent travel means walking real routes alongside the client and keeping them safe.
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.
Training clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: clients, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).” (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: Training someone with sight loss to use a cane or guide dog is physical, side-by-side instruction.
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.
What this job pays, and how many people do it
- Median pay
- $100,330a 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
- 162,450in 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: necessary records in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: completing and maintaining necessary records. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where clients 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
Start with what does not change: training clients to use tactile is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.
So, given all that: 0% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 11% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 89% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 38 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. Completing and maintaining necessary records 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 necessary records, 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 patients' physical is 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 completing and maintaining necessary records. 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 occupational therapists (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was rehabilitation counselors: only about 6% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 53.3% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 20/100 here, with only 0% of the task list in the top band, and “test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data…” 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.
Rehabilitation Counselors
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments…, and their equivalent is to confer with clients to discuss their options and goals. Across both published task lists that is about 6% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 6% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $46,850 against your $100,330, 53.3% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already conduct research in occupational therapy, and their equivalent is to transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area. 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. It is a pay cut, in those words: $72,300 against your $100,330, 27.9% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Therapists, All Other
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already participate in professional development activities, and their equivalent is to participate in continuing education. Across both published task lists that is about 3% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 3% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $77,930 against your $100,330, 22.3% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice. And it is a narrow door: about 22,640 of those jobs against 162,450 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 14% 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: 0% of its task weight, across 38 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 training clients to use tactile 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 Occupational therapists 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:
In UK official statistics this job is counted as Occupational therapists, Podiatrists and Therapy professionals n.e.c.. 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:
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
Free
Why there is no community here
Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.
So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.
Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for occupational therapists 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 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 Occupational Therapists?
- Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 38 official task statements scored for Occupational Therapists (United States, SOC 29-1122), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 20 out of 100 (range 14–27, 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 “Occupational Therapists” can AI already do?
- The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Complete and maintain necessary records” (56/100, partial); “Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes” (56/100, partial); “Refer clients to services, such as eye care, health care, rehabilitation, and counseling, to enhance visual and life functioning or when condition exceeds sc…” (48/100, partial). 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 “Occupational Therapists” stay human?
- About 89% 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: “Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive…” (0/100, minimal); “Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information” (0/100, minimal); “Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises” (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 “Occupational Therapists” do about AI?
- Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 89% 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 Occupational Therapists 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 38 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.
- 1 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.
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}
}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.