Pediatric surgeons
SOC Code: 29-1243
Pediatric surgeons carries a 19% AI exposure score (Low automation risk) and +1.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 1,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 19% AI exposure, Pediatric surgeons sits 18 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 5% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
65/100
Pediatric surgeons, weighted across 2 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage N/A N/A
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +1.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 19% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Pediatric surgeons in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Pediatric surgeons is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Slow growth (245/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with slow growth growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Pediatric surgeons sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Pediatric surgeons sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
19% Among the lowest lower than 95% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Pediatric surgeons vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Pediatric surgeons is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Pediatric surgeons's Low automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-1243) code. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Pediatric surgeons be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Pediatric surgeons. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Analyze patient's medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and examination results to verify operation's necessity and to determine best procedure.
- 2. Conduct research to develop and test surgical techniques that can improve operating procedures and outcomes.
- 3. Consult with patient's other medical care specialists, such as cardiologist and endocrinologist, to determine if surgery is necessary.
- 4. Describe preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures, such as sedatives, diets, antibiotics, or preparation and treatment of the patient's operative area, to parents or guardians of the patient.
- 5. Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff.
- 6. Examine fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents, and diagnose health issues to determine need for intervention, such as surgery.
- 7. Examine instruments, equipment, and operating room to ensure sterility.
- 8. Examine patient to obtain information on medical condition and surgical risk.
- 9. Follow established surgical techniques during the operation.
- 10. Inform parents and guardians of child's health problems and surgical procedures through various channels, such as in-person and telecommunication systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Pediatric surgeons?
Pediatric surgeons has an AI exposure score of 19%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Pediatric surgeons?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Pediatric surgeons is projected to grow by 1.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 1,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Pediatric surgeons?
Pediatric surgeons requires a combination of technical knowledge and interpersonal skills. Typical education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree.
How much do Pediatric surgeons earn?
Wage data for Pediatric surgeons varies by region, experience, and employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median wage estimates in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Pediatric surgeons?
The typical entry-level education for Pediatric surgeons is Doctoral or professional degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Internship/residency. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Pediatric surgeons?
Pediatric surgeons roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Pediatric surgeons: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (19% here).
- Animal caretakers · AI exposure 19%
- Psychiatrists · AI exposure 19%
- Clergy · AI exposure 19%
- Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals · AI exposure 19%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.5% here).
- Agricultural inspectors · growth +1.5%
- Educational instruction and library workers, all other · growth +1.5%
- Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other · growth +1.5%
- Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand · growth +1.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 7 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Pediatric surgeons' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Pediatric surgeons side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).