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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace roustabouts?

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas. US occupation 47-5071.

0.0%

of the time roustabouts spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of roustabouts' 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.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for roustaboutsWhat roustabouts no longer do alone

O*NET lists 11 tasks for roustabouts. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

11 of the 11 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Bolt together pump and engine parts.Core task
  • Dismantle and repair oil field machinery, boilers, and steam engine parts, using hand tools and power tools.Core task
  • Guide cranes to move loads about decks.Core task
  • Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.Core task
  • Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.Core task
  • Walk flow lines to locate leaks, using electronic detectors and by making visual inspections, and repair the leaks.Core task
Show the other 5
  • Clean up spilled oil by bailing it into barrels.
  • Cut down and remove trees and brush to clear drill sites, to reduce fire hazards, and to make way for roads to sites.
  • Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.
  • Dig holes, set forms, and mix and pour concrete into forms to make foundations for wood or steel derricks.
  • Supply equipment to rig floors as requested and provide assistance to roughnecks.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, roustabouts rank 48. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 0.0%
  2. 346Roof Bolters, Mining 0.0%
  3. 346Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 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.