AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-1229.06

Will AI replace Sports Medicine Physicians?

Sports Medicine Physicians: AI can already handle 15 of 27 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 27 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Sports Medicine Physicians, from most to least exposed. 15 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Inform athletes about nutrition, hydration, dietary supplements, or uses and possible consequences of medication. 82 Observed Frontier 3.8
Supervise the rehabilitation of injured athletes. 75 Estimated Standard 4.0
Attend games and competitions to provide evaluation and treatment of activity-related injuries or medical conditions. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Select and prepare medical equipment or medications to be taken to athletic competition sites. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.5
Conduct research in the prevention or treatment of injuries or medical conditions related to sports and exercise. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Provide coaches and therapists with assistance in selecting and fitting protective equipment. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.2
Order and interpret the results of laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging procedures. 65 Estimated Standard 4.5
Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries. 65 Estimated Standard 4.2
Examine, evaluate and treat athletes who have been injured or who have medical problems such as exercise-induced asthma. 65 Estimated Standard 4.0
Observe and evaluate athletes' mental well-being. 65 Estimated Standard 3.5
Evaluate and manage chronic pain conditions. 65 Estimated Standard 3.3
Advise against injured athletes returning to games or competition if resuming activity could lead to further injury. 60 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Refer athletes for specialized consultation, physical therapy, or diagnostic testing. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Advise coaches, trainers, or physical therapists on the proper use of exercises and other therapeutic techniques, and alert them to potentially dangerous practices. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Advise athletes on ways that substances, such as herbal remedies, could affect drug testing results. 60 Estimated Frontier 2.7
Coordinate sports care activities with other experts, including specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, or coaches. 50 Estimated Standard 4.1
Develop and test procedures for dealing with emergencies during practices or competitions. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Provide education and counseling on illness and injury prevention. 40 Observed Standard 4.1
Advise athletes, trainers, or coaches to alter or cease sports practices that are potentially harmful. 40 Observed Frontier 4.1
Inform coaches, trainers, or other interested parties regarding the medical conditions of athletes. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Record athletes' medical care information, and maintain medical records. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Participate in continuing education activities to improve and maintain knowledge and skills. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Diagnose or treat disorders of the musculoskeletal system. 10 Estimated No tier 4.6
Record athletes' medical histories, and perform physical examinations. 10 Estimated No tier 4.3
Prescribe medications for the treatment of athletic-related injuries. 10 Estimated No tier 3.9
Prescribe orthotics, prosthetics, and adaptive equipment. 10 Estimated No tier 3.4
Develop and prescribe exercise programs, such as off-season conditioning regimens. 10 Estimated No tier 3.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 3 of 27 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 24 of 27. 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 frontier-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 81% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 19% 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
342,720
Median annual wage
$265,930
Middle half of earners
$102,930 to $378,770
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+2.5%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

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.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Sports Medicine Physicians and AI

Will AI replace Sports Medicine Physicians?

AI already handles 15 of the 27 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 +2.5% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Sports Medicine Physicians?

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. 3 of the 27 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 24 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Sports Medicine Physicians tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Inform athletes about nutrition, hydration, dietary supplements, or uses and possible consequences of medication; Supervise the rehabilitation of injured athletes; Attend games and competitions to provide evaluation and treatment of activity-related injuries or medical conditions. They are three of the 15 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 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 Sports Medicine Physicians, and what do they earn?

342,720 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $265,930 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.5% 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: Sports Medicine Physicians. 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/sports-medicine-physicians

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