AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Web Developers?

Task-level automation exposure for Web Developers: 29 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

68% weighted task index

29 of 29 tasks scored

Median Salary

$92,650 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Medium

70,190 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+3.8% employment change

5,300 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 45 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$46,020 – $130,440

Highest medians

Washington $130,440

Virginia $128,380

California $119,570

District of Columbia $114,690

Maryland $112,690

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $46,020

Arkansas $50,550

South Dakota $51,100

Montana $62,060

Iowa $64,210

State figures come from the 15-1254 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 68%

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

Physical work 0%

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

Judgment & influence 36%

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 21/100 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

29 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) 84%

24 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 14%

4 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 2%

1 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

#14707 · Core · 75% automatable

Write supporting code for Web applications or Web sites.

text generation — Code generation strong; human reviews and integrates

Design websites or web applications. Write computer programming code.

#14694 · Core · 74% automatable

Design, build, or maintain Web sites, using authoring or scripting languages, content creation tools, management tools, and digital media.

text generation — Website content updates automatable

Design websites or web applications. Update website content.

#14698 · Core · 75% automatable

Back up files from Web sites to local directories for instant recovery in case of problems.

data analysis — Backup configuration largely automatable with oversight

Create electronic data backup to prevent loss of information.

#14711 · Core · 68% automatable

Select programming languages, design tools, or applications.

text generation — Web app code generated; design and review human

Design websites or web applications.

#14700 · Core · 72% automatable

Evaluate code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems.

data analysis — AI can run and analyze software performance tests

Test software performance.

#14704 · Core · 75% automatable

Develop databases that support Web applications and Web sites.

text generation — Database creation largely automatable; human reviews

Create databases to store electronic data.

#14710 · Core · 72% automatable

Perform Web site tests according to planned schedules, or after any Web site or product revision.

data analysis — AI can run and analyze software performance tests

Test software performance.

#14695 · Core · 80% automatable

Perform or direct Web site updates.

text generation — Website content updates automatable

Update website content.

#14701 · Core · 80% automatable

Maintain understanding of current Web technologies or programming practices through continuing education, reading, or participation in professional conferences, workshops, or groups.

information retrieval — AI scans trend sources; human weighs relevance

Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.

#14702 · Core · 72% automatable

Analyze user needs to determine technical requirements.

data analysis — Derives specs from project data; human validates requirements

Analyze project data to determine specifications or requirements.

#14713 · Core · 45% automatable

Respond to user email inquiries, or set up automated systems to send responses.

interpersonal — Customer service is relational and accountability-bearing

Provide customer service to clients or users.

#14705 · Core · 80% automatable

Renew domain name registrations.

text generation — Website content updates automatable

Update website content.

#14697 · Core · 62% automatable

Confer with management or development teams to prioritize needs, resolve conflicts, develop content criteria, or choose solutions.

decision support — IT troubleshooting collaboration well-supported by AI

Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.

#14708 · Core · 59% automatable

Communicate with network personnel or Web site hosting agencies to address hardware or software issues affecting Web sites.

decision support — IT troubleshooting collaboration well-supported by AI

Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues. Provide technical support for computer network issues.

#14706 · Core · 50% automatable

Collaborate with management or users to develop e-commerce strategies and to integrate these strategies with Web sites.

interpersonal — Strategy collaboration needs human buy-in and judgment

Collaborate with others to develop or implement marketing strategies.

#14726 · Core · 80% automatable

Document test plans, testing procedures, or test results.

text generation — Draft procedure docs from described process

Document design or development procedures.

#14717 · Core · 45% automatable

Establish appropriate server directory trees.

decision support — Network config needs physical setup and verification

Configure computer networks.

#14719 · Core · 72% automatable

Recommend and implement performance improvements.

decision support — Drafts sound recommendations; human validates against real systems

Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems.

#14728 · Core · 80% automatable

Document technical factors such as server load, bandwidth, database performance, and browser and device types.

text generation — Draft network activity documentation from inputs

Document network-related activities or tasks.

#14714 · Core · 70% automatable

Develop or implement procedures for ongoing Web site revision.

text generation — Web spec drafting well-suited to AI

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

#14724 · Core · 60% automatable

Create Web models or prototypes that include physical, interface, logical, or data models.

data analysis — AI models comms systems; engineer verifies performance

Develop models of information or communications systems.

#14722 · Core · 70% automatable

Provide clear, detailed descriptions of Web site specifications, such as product features, activities, software, communication protocols, programming languages, and operating systems software and hardware.

text generation — Web spec drafting well-suited to AI

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

#14725 · Core · 70% automatable

Evaluate or recommend server hardware or software.

decision support — Software utility evaluation aided by research and testing

Evaluate utility of software or hardware technologies. Provide recommendations to others about computer hardware.

#14723 · Supplemental · 74% automatable

Monitor security system performance logs to identify problems and notify security specialists when problems occur.

data analysis — AI monitors digital security logs and alerts

Monitor the security of digital information. Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.

#14729 · Supplemental · 30% automatable

Install and configure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) servers and associated operating systems.

decision support — Network config needs physical setup and verification

Install computer hardware. Configure computer networks.

#14727 · Supplemental · 61% automatable

Research, document, rate, or select alternatives for Web architecture or technologies.

text generation — Draft procedure docs from described process

Conduct research to gain information about products or processes. Document design or development procedures.

#14730 · Supplemental · 70% automatable

Develop system interaction or sequence diagrams.

visual inspection — Generates flow charts; system accuracy verified by human

Develop diagrams or flow charts of system operation.

#21683 · Core · 65% automatable

Design and implement Web site security measures, such as firewalls and message encryption.

text generation — AI drafts security policies; human approves

Implement security measures for computer or information systems. Develop computer or information security policies or procedures.

#21684 · Core · 70% automatable

Incorporate technical considerations into Web site design plans, such as budgets, equipment, performance requirements, and legal issues including accessibility and privacy.

text generation — Web spec drafting well-suited to AI

Develop specifications or procedures for website development or maintenance.

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Community Sentiment

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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 →

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