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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists?
Task-level automation exposure for Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists: 26 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
17%
weighted task index
26 of 26 tasks scored
Median Salary
$61,770 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
High
289,960 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+3.6%
employment change
24,400 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 53 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$40,110 – $80,080
Highest medians
Hawaii $80,080
Washington $77,900
Alaska $75,580
Maryland $74,790
California $73,950
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $40,110
West Virginia $46,610
Alabama $50,470
Guam $51,720
Arkansas $52,330
State figures come from the 49-3031 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 17%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 72%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 9%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 0%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 31/100
Moderate
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
26 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 0%
0 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 8%
2 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 92%
24 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#2981 · Core · 55% automatable
Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.
decision support — Tool selection needs context; human decides and procures
Select tools, equipment, or technologies for use in operations or projects.
#2982 · Core · 18% automatable
Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
visual inspection — Mechanical component inspection requires hands-on access
Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems.
#2985 · Core · 10% automatable
Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
physical manipulation — Crane/hoist operation demands real-time physical control
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
#2984 · Core · 10% automatable
Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
physical manipulation — Hands-on vehicle component adjustment
Adjust vehicle components according to specifications.
#2991 · Core · 28% automatable
Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
physical manipulation — Hands-on mechanical testing in physical environment
Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
#2983 · Core · 10% automatable
Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
physical manipulation — Physical lubrication task requiring hands and access
Service vehicles to maintain functionality. Lubricate equipment to allow proper functioning.
#2988 · Core · 15% automatable
Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
physical manipulation — Hands-on equipment adjustment for performance
Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
#2987 · Core · 29% automatable
Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.
visual inspection — Detecting subtle equipment problems needs on-site sensory judgment
Observe equipment in operation to detect potential problems. Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems. Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
#2992 · Core · 10% automatable
Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.
physical manipulation — Rewiring systems is hands-on electrical work
Rewire electrical or electronic systems.
#2986 · Core · 5% automatable
Test drive trucks and buses to diagnose malfunctions or to ensure that they are working properly.
physical manipulation — Operating transport equipment by hand
Operate transportation equipment to demonstrate function or malfunction.
#18582 · Core · 27% automatable
Diagnose and repair vehicle heating and cooling systems.
decision support — Troubleshooting aided; hands-on diagnosis human
Troubleshoot equipment or systems operation problems. Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
#2995 · Core · 13% automatable
Inspect, repair, and maintain automotive and mechanical equipment and machinery, such as pumps and compressors.
visual inspection — Mechanical component inspection requires hands-on access
Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems. Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
#2989 · Core · 22% automatable
Inspect and verify dimensions and clearances of parts to ensure conformance to factory specifications.
physical manipulation — Physical distance measurement in field
Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems. Measure distances or dimensions.
#2996 · Core · 7% automatable
Disassemble and overhaul internal combustion engines, pumps, generators, transmissions, clutches, and differential units.
physical manipulation — Hands-on engine teardown and repair
Dismantle heavy equipment or machinery. Repair defective engines or engine components.
#19886 · Core · 9% automatable
Adjust or repair computer controlled exhaust emissions devices.
physical manipulation — Hands-on vehicle component adjustment
Adjust vehicle components according to specifications. Service green vehicles to make repairs or maintain good working order.
#2997 · Core · 8% automatable
Rebuild gas or diesel engines.
physical manipulation — Hands-on engine teardown and repair
Repair defective engines or engine components.
#2990 · Core · 8% automatable
Specialize in repairing and maintaining parts of the engine, such as fuel injection systems.
physical manipulation — Hands-on engine teardown and repair
Repair defective engines or engine components.
#2993 · Core · 9% automatable
Recondition and replace parts, pistons, bearings, gears, and valves.
physical manipulation — Manual replacement of mechanical parts
Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts. Rebuild parts or components.
#20453 · Core · 7% automatable
Install or repair accessories.
physical manipulation — Hands-on automotive component repair
Install vehicle parts or accessories. Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
#20454 · Core · 9% automatable
Repair or adjust seats, doors, or windows.
physical manipulation — Hands-on vehicle component adjustment
Adjust vehicle components according to specifications. Repair non-engine automotive or vehicle components.
#23955 · Core · 8% automatable
Dismount, mount, and repair or replace tires.
physical manipulation — Manual tire mounting and repair
Install vehicle parts or accessories. Repair tires.
#2998 · Core · 8% automatable
Align front ends and suspension systems.
physical manipulation — Physical alignment of machinery requires hands
Align equipment or machinery.
#19888 · Core · 8% automatable
Maintain or repair vehicles with alternative fuel systems, including biodiesel, hybrid, or compressed natural gas vehicles.
physical manipulation — Hands-on servicing of green vehicles
Service green vehicles to make repairs or maintain good working order.
#19889 · Supplemental · 32% automatable
Measure vehicle emissions to determine whether they are within acceptable limits.
physical manipulation — Requires physical gauges and instrument reading
Measure equipment outputs.
#19887 · Supplemental · 50% automatable
Follow green operational practices involving conservation of water or energy or reduction of solid waste.
decision support — Broad resource monitoring needs human judgment and physical checks
Monitor resources.
#2999 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Operate valve-grinding machines to grind and reset valves.
physical manipulation — Precision grinding requires hands-on machine control
Grind parts to required dimensions.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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