AI exposure Healthcare support
Will AI replace medical equipment preparers?
Medical Equipment Preparers. US occupation 31-9093.
The reading
0.0%
of the time medical equipment preparers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of medical equipment preparers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for medical equipment preparersWhat medical equipment preparers no longer do alone
O*NET lists 16 tasks for medical equipment preparers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
16 of the 16 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Attend hospital in-service programs related to areas of work specialization.Core task
- Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.Core task
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.Core task
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.Core task
- Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.Core task
- Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.Core task
Show the other 10
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.Core task
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.Core task
- Purge wastes from equipment by connecting equipment to water sources and flushing water through systems.Core task
- Record sterilizer test results.Core task
- Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.Core task
- Start equipment and observe gauges and equipment operation to detect malfunctions and to ensure equipment is operating to prescribed standards.Core task
- Assist hospital staff with patient care duties, such as providing transportation or setting up traction.
- Deliver equipment to specified hospital locations or to patients' residences.
- Install and set up medical equipment, using hand tools.
- Stock crash carts or other medical supplies.
How that compares
Among the 16 healthcare support occupations, medical equipment preparers rank 9. The group averages 4.9%, and its most exposed job is Medical Transcriptionists at 63.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Level with 0.0%
- 346Mechanical Door Repairers 0.0%
- 346Mechanical Drafters 0.0%
- 346Medical Appliance Technicians 0.0%
What this does and does not mean
Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.
A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.
Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.