AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 53-6011.00
Will AI replace Bridge and Lock Tenders?
Bridge and Lock Tenders: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 18 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 18 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Bridge and Lock Tenders, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain and guard stations in bridges to check waterways for boat traffic. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Clean and lubricate equipment, and make minor repairs and adjustments. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect canal and bridge equipment, and areas, such as roadbeds, for damage or defects, reporting problems to supervisors as necessary. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Turn valves to increase or decrease water levels in locks. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Check that bridges are clear of vehicles and pedestrians prior to opening. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stop automobile and pedestrian traffic on bridges, and lower automobile gates prior to moving bridges. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Raise drawbridges and observe passage of water traffic or lower drawbridges and raise automobile gates. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Move levers to activate traffic signals, navigation lights, and alarms. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Write and submit maintenance work requisitions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Log data, such as water levels and weather conditions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Attach ropes or cable lines to bitts on lock decks or wharfs to secure vessels. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prepare accident reports. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Perform maintenance duties, such as sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities clean and in order. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 18 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 18 of 18. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 22% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 22% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 78% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 3,040
- Median annual wage
- $57,700
- Middle half of earners
- $38,640 to $69,620
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -3.3%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Dredge Operators 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure28
- Motorboat Operators 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure16
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure24
- Ship Engineers 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure18
- Conveyor Operators and Tenders 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure22
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Bridge and Lock Tenders and AI
Will AI replace Bridge and Lock Tenders?
Not on current evidence. None of the 18 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 17 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Bridge and Lock Tenders?
17 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 18 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 18 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Bridge and Lock Tenders tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges, at 35 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 22% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 78% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Bridge and Lock Tenders, and what do they earn?
3,040 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $57,700 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -3.3% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Bridge and Lock Tenders. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/bridge-and-lock-tenders
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