AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Craft Artists?

Task-level automation exposure for Craft Artists: 16 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

36% weighted task index

16 of 16 tasks scored

Median Salary

$46,080 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Low

4,580 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+2.0% employment change

1,000 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 23 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$25,960 – $100,540

Highest medians

California $100,540

Missouri $61,780

Wisconsin $58,650

Texas $54,690

Maine $53,380

Lowest medians

Michigan $25,960

Minnesota $27,560

Tennessee $32,830

Connecticut $34,010

South Carolina $35,050

State figures come from the 27-1012 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 36%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 41%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 39%

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 0/100 Low

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

16 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) 18%

3 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 41%

7 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 41%

6 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

#9250 · Core · 50% automatable

Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics.

decision support — Prop selection depends on creative and physical context

Select materials or props.

#9247 · Core · 8% automatable

Create functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials.

physical manipulation — Crafting physical objects is manual artisan work

Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.

#9252 · Core · 60% automatable

Develop concepts or creative ideas for craft objects.

text generation — Concepts generated; commercial curation human

Develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, or commercial purposes.

#9251 · Core · 5% automatable

Apply finishes to objects being crafted.

physical manipulation — Manual craft finishing work

Apply finishes to artwork, crafts, or displays.

#9248 · Core · 8% automatable

Cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, or machinery.

physical manipulation — Crafting physical objects is manual artisan work

Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes.

#9253 · Core · 72% automatable

Set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes.

data analysis — Dimension calculations from given specs

Calculate dimensions of workpieces, products, or equipment. Analyze project data to determine specifications or requirements.

#9258 · Core · 55% automatable

Advertise products and work, using media such as internet advertising and brochures.

text generation — Promotional content drafted; human runs channels and relationships

Promote products, activities, or organizations.

#9257 · Core · 45% automatable

Sketch or draw objects to be crafted.

visual inspection — AI aids illustrations; precise technical drawing human

Draw detailed or technical illustrations.

#24006 · Core · 5% automatable

Pack products for shipping.

physical manipulation — Physical packing for transport

Package materials for transport. Package objects for shipping.

#9255 · Core · 8% automatable

Fabricate patterns or templates to guide craft production.

physical manipulation — Physical fabrication of models and patterns

Build models, patterns, or templates.

#9256 · Core · 8% automatable

Create prototypes or models of objects to be crafted.

physical manipulation — Physical fabrication of models and patterns

Build models, patterns, or templates.

#9259 · Core · 58% automatable

Develop product packaging, display, and pricing strategies.

text generation — Promotional strategy drafted; human tailors and approves

Develop promotional strategies or plans.

#9254 · Core · 48% automatable

Confer with customers to assess customer needs or obtain feedback.

interpersonal — Needs elicitation requires human rapport and judgment

Confer with clients to determine needs.

#20881 · Core · 55% automatable

Plan and attend craft shows to market products.

text generation — Promotional content drafted; human runs channels and relationships

Promote products, activities, or organizations.

#9261 · Supplemental · 45% automatable

Develop designs using specialized computer software.

visual inspection — AI aids illustrations; precise technical drawing human

Draw detailed or technical illustrations.

#9260 · Supplemental · 82% automatable

Research craft trends, venues, and customer buying patterns to inspire designs and marketing strategies.

information retrieval — AI tracks trends across sources continuously

Monitor current trends.

Embed this calculator on your site ↓

Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.

<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="craft-artists"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script>

Community Sentiment

Do you agree?

Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?

Method

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

See the full method →

Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market

Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.

Read Article ->