AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-1242.00
Will AI replace Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric?
Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric: AI can already handle 7 of 15 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 15 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric, from most to least exposed. 7 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze patient's medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and examination results to verify operation's necessity and to determine best procedure. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Examine instruments, equipment, and operating room to ensure sterility. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Follow established surgical techniques during the operation. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Prepare case histories. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioners when necessary. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide consultation and surgical assistance to other physicians and surgeons. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct research to develop and test surgical techniques that can improve operating procedures and outcomes related to musculoskeletal injuries and diseases. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Manage surgery services, including planning, scheduling and coordination, determination of procedures, or procurement of supplies and equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate on patient's musculoskeletal system to correct deformities, repair injuries, prevent and treat diseases, or improve or restore patient's functions. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Diagnose bodily disorders and orthopedic conditions, and provide treatments, such as medicines and surgeries, in clinics, hospital wards, or operating rooms. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Examine patient to obtain information on medical condition and surgical risk. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prescribe preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures, such as sedatives, diets, antibiotics, or preparation and treatment of the patient's operative area. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 15 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 15. 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
A standard-tier model or lower covers 67% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 73% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 27% 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
- 14,100
- Median annual wage
- $358,550
- Middle half of earners
- $180,610 to $530,700
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.1%
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.
- Pediatric Surgeons 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure44
- Podiatrists 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure60
- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure46
- Sports Medicine Physicians 68% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure48
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 65% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure40
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric and AI
Will AI replace Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric?
AI already handles 7 of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 48 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. BLS projects employment to change by +4.1% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric?
48 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 15 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Analyze patient's medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and examination results to verify operation's necessity and to determine best procedure; Examine instruments, equipment, and operating room to ensure sterility; Follow established surgical techniques during the operation. They are three of the 7 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 67% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 27% 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 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric, and what do they earn?
14,100 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $358,550 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.1% 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: Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric. 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/orthopedic-surgeons-except-pediatric
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