Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in (un)common logic.
Technological advances have long changed the way people work, but the current rate of change seems unprecedented.
From the advent of the personal computer in the 1970s to the introduction of the World Wide Web in the 1990s to smartphones, social media and cloud computing in the 2000s, the way we work has changed significantly in recent decades. Now, into the 2020s, the latest transformative force appears to be artificial intelligence (AI).
As AI-related research and new AI technologies proliferate, computers now have the potential to disrupt many industries and professions previously thought to be unrelated to automation.
Due to the distribution of industries and employment across the country, AI-driven job losses may affect some regions more than others.
Here’s a breakdown of the risk of AI-related job losses in major metropolitan statistical areas.
This analysis was conducted by (un)common logic, a data-driven digital marketing agency that uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. See the methods section at the end for more information.
1. Tampa-St. St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 11.5%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 161,827
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 45.0%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 635,836
- Median annual salary: $46,420
2. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.8%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 294,157
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 46.3%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 1,260,383
- Median annual salary: $46,510
3. Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.8%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 54,915
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 46.6%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 237,476
- Median annual salary: $44,830
4. Jacksonville, Florida
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.7%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 79,026
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 46.0%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 340,637
- Median annual salary: $45,420
5. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, New York
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.4%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 54,745
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 44.1%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 232,621
- Median annual salary: $48,560
6. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.3%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 126,753
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 40.2%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 496,209
- Median annual salary: $50,070
7. Kansas City, MO – Kansas
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.2%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 110,027
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 45.6%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 491,448
- Median annual salary: $48,040
8. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.2%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 233,338
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 44.2%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 1,012,755
- Median annual salary: $48,600
9. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.1%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 161,291
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 40.4%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 643,137
- Median annual salary: $58,490
10. New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.1%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 962,697
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 38.8%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 3,680,763
- Median annual salary: $59,390
11. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 10.1%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 131,647
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 39.3%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 513,065
- Median annual salary: $54,140
12. Richmond, Virginia
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 9.9%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 64,301
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 42.7%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 276,743
- Median annual salary: $48,470
13. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 9.7%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 104,407
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 47.3%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 508,631
- Median annual salary: $46,950
14. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 9.7%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 68,125
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 42.6%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 299,004
- Median annual salary: $48,800
15. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Proportion of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 9.7%
- Total number of workers at risk from AI-related automation: 132,506
- Proportion of workers at risk from computer automation: 47.8%
- Total number of workers at risk from computer automation: 652,685
- Median annual salary: $43,120
method
Data sources include the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2023)Frey and Osborne Probability of computerization by occupation (2013) and Felten et al. Artificial Intelligence Career Exposure (2021).
To identify the areas with the greatest number of workers at risk of AI-related job losses, the researchers calculated the percentage of workers in occupations with high exposure to AI and a high likelihood of computerization.
For the purposes of this analysis, high artificial intelligence exposure is defined as at least one standard deviation above the mean, and high computerization probability is defined as 70% or higher.
The researchers also calculated the percentage of workers at risk of any computerized automation, which is simply the proportion of workers in occupations with a high likelihood of computerization, regardless of whether they have been exposed to artificial intelligence.
