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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Sports Medicine Physicians?
Task-level automation exposure for Sports Medicine Physicians: 27 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
45%
weighted task index
27 of 27 tasks scored
Median Salary
$265,930 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Very High
342,720 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+3.4%
employment change
9,400 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 51 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$77,430 – $454,550
Highest medians
North Dakota $454,550
Montana $438,850
Maine $419,410
Wisconsin $391,740
Minnesota $367,320
Lowest medians
District of Columbia $77,430
Illinois $132,540
Arkansas $136,880
Michigan $155,480
Puerto Rico $172,230
State figures come from the 29-1229 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 45%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 3%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 73%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 9%
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 66/100
High
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
27 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) 24%
7 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 49%
13 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 27%
7 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 →Emerging & rewritten tasks
Tasks O*NET added or rewrote for this occupation in its recent updates (05/2025 – 08/2026), with who proposed them. Additions are not in the scored task inventory — they are new work O*NET is still measuring, so they appear here and nowhere in the index. A Revision replaces a task that is scored, which is why only those move the "Rewritten by O*NET" share.
- New 08/2026 · Occupational Expert
Perform diagnostic and therapeutic musculoskeletal procedures by using ultrasound guidance to identify conditions and conduct interventions, such as musculoskeletal injections.
- New 08/2026 · Occupational Expert
Teach and supervise medical students and physicians in training.
Constituent Tasks
#17281 · Core · 28% automatable
Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
decision support — AI suggests differentials; clinician examines and owns diagnosis
Diagnose medical conditions. Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
#17273 · Core · 52% automatable
Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures.
visual inspection — Image interpretation assists; radiologist owns diagnosis
Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment. Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests.
#17265 · Core · 37% automatable
Record athletes' medical histories, and perform physical examinations.
interpersonal — Patient history requires live elicitation and judgment
Examine patients to assess general physical condition. Record patient medical histories.
#17267 · Core · 55% automatable
Refer athletes for specialized consultation, physical therapy, or diagnostic testing.
decision support — Clinical referral judgment needs licensed human accountability
Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
#17270 · Core · 55% automatable
Provide education and counseling on illness and injury prevention.
decision support — Wellness advice needs tailoring and clinical accountability
Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
#17257 · Core · 55% automatable
Advise against injured athletes returning to games or competition if resuming activity could lead to further injury.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use. Advise others on healthcare matters.
#17280 · Core · 13% automatable
Examine, evaluate and treat athletes who have been injured or who have medical problems such as exercise-induced asthma.
decision support — Chronic disease management needs clinical judgment
Examine patients to assess general physical condition. Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries. Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
#17268 · Core · 62% automatable
Record athletes' medical care information, and maintain medical records.
interpersonal — Patient history requires live elicitation and judgment
Record patient medical histories.
#17276 · Core · 28% automatable
Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries.
decision support — Functional assessment aided by data, exam human
Examine patients to assess general physical condition. Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
#17272 · Core · 22% automatable
Prescribe medications for the treatment of athletic-related injuries.
decision support — Prescribing medications is licensed high-stakes judgment
Prescribe medications.
#17277 · Core · 68% automatable
Develop and test procedures for dealing with emergencies during practices or competitions.
text generation — Procedures drafted; regulatory and site validation human
Develop emergency procedures.
#17278 · Core · 40% automatable
Coordinate sports care activities with other experts, including specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, or coaches.
interpersonal — Treatment planning collaboration is accountable clinical work
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
#17258 · Core · 45% automatable
Observe and evaluate athletes' mental well-being.
decision support — Functional assessment aided by data, exam human
Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
#17263 · Core · 60% automatable
Advise athletes, trainers, or coaches to alter or cease sports practices that are potentially harmful.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#17275 · Core · 35% automatable
Evaluate and manage chronic pain conditions.
decision support — Treatment goals need clinical accountability and context
Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals. Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
#17264 · Core · 55% automatable
Attend games and competitions to provide evaluation and treatment of activity-related injuries or medical conditions.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use. Advise others on healthcare matters.
#17274 · Core · 60% automatable
Inform athletes about nutrition, hydration, dietary supplements, or uses and possible consequences of medication.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#17269 · Core · 40% automatable
Inform coaches, trainers, or other interested parties regarding the medical conditions of athletes.
interpersonal — Results delivery needs empathy and clinical judgment
Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
#17279 · Core · 60% automatable
Advise coaches, trainers, or physical therapists on the proper use of exercises and other therapeutic techniques, and alert them to potentially dangerous practices.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#17259 · Core · 75% automatable
Participate in continuing education activities to improve and maintain knowledge and skills.
information retrieval — AI summarizes medical updates; human retains judgment
Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
#17266 · Core · 32% automatable
Supervise the rehabilitation of injured athletes.
decision support — AI aids chart review; clinical observation of patient is human
Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments. Supervise workers providing client or patient services.
#17271 · Core · 28% automatable
Prescribe orthotics, prosthetics, and adaptive equipment.
decision support — Device prescription needs clinical assessment and accountability
Prescribe assistive medical devices or related treatments.
#17255 · Core · 23% automatable
Select and prepare medical equipment or medications to be taken to athletic competition sites.
decision support — Medical equipment selection needs patient exam and accountability
Select medical equipment for addressing patient needs. Prepare medications or medical solutions. Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
#17262 · Core · 40% automatable
Conduct research in the prevention or treatment of injuries or medical conditions related to sports and exercise.
information retrieval — Literature review aided; wet-lab and clinical research human
Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
#17261 · Core · 55% automatable
Advise athletes on ways that substances, such as herbal remedies, could affect drug testing results.
decision support — Treatment-effect advice needs clinical tailoring
Advise patients on effects of health conditions or treatments.
#17260 · Core · 40% automatable
Develop and prescribe exercise programs, such as off-season conditioning regimens.
decision support — AI drafts programs; trainer assesses client and adjusts
Develop exercise or conditioning programs. Prescribe treatments or therapies.
#17256 · Core · 60% automatable
Provide coaches and therapists with assistance in selecting and fitting protective equipment.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
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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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