← All 785 jobsFile 29-1242
Orthopedic Surgeons
Also filed here: Surgeon, Orthopaedic surgeon, Orthopedic surgeon
Mostly untouched
AI barely touches this work so far. The BLS expects 4% more of these jobs by 2035, faster than the 3.5% average.
Clinical work often uses specialised medical AI tools that consumer Copilot data does not see, so this file probably understates how much AI touches it.
- Rank
- Joint #637 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +4% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $358,550 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 15,500 in the US, with about 400 openings a year
The work, 17 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
Still yours: Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases14%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Analyze health or medical data9%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,718 conversations, and it got them there 85% of the time.
Still yours: Diagnose health conditions or disorders9%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Prescribe medical treatments or devices9%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Research healthcare issues5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 142 conversations, and it got them there 93% of the time.
Still yours: Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Follow standard healthcare safety procedures to protect patient and staff members5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Schedule appointments5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Clean medical equipment or facilities5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Maintain health or medical records5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Assist others to access additional services or resources5%
AI performed this in about 1 in 31 Copilot conversations and completed it 88% of the time.
Still yours: Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Supervise personnel activities5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 579 conversations, and it got them there 94% of the time. In this job the work is hands-on, so AI can only assist.
Still yours: Order medical tests or procedures5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Purchase goods or services5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 214 conversations, and it got them there 91% of the time.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 104 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
About 400 openings a year, from growth and from people who retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
The jobs closest to this one. None of them is much less exposed.
- Shares 82% of the workPediatric Surgeons9% AI does, against 4% here+2% by 2035 · $559,030 · Doctoral or professional degree
- Shares 60% of the workPhysicians20% AI does, against 4% here+3.4% by 2035 · $265,930 · Doctoral or professional degree
- Shares 57% of the workNurse Practitioners27% AI does, against 4% here+41% by 2035 · $132,300 · Master’s degree
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Health front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.08, higher than 27% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Clinical work often uses specialised medical AI tools that consumer Copilot data does not see, so this file probably understates how much AI touches it.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 29-1242 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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