Will AI replace automotive and watercraft service attendants?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 5h 39m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 2h 21m (29%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 3.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 3 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 5h 39m of a typical shift. 6 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 2 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Activate fuel pumps and fill fuel tanks of vehicles with gasoline or diesel fuel to specified levels. (3h 11m a shift; e.g. Autofuel Gen 3 robotic refuelling arm (at Neste Express Vantaa Siltamäki), in use)
• Collect cash payments from customers, and make change or charge purchases to customers' credit cards, providing customers with receipts. (1h 46m a shift; e.g. Mashgin self-checkout kiosk, in use)
• Clean parking areas, offices, restrooms, or equipment, and remove trash. (42m a shift; e.g. Ice Cobotics Cobi 18, in use)

2h 21m of a typical shift, or 29%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required. (28m a shift)
• Perform minor repairs, such as adjusting brakes, replacing spark plugs, or changing engine oil or filters. (21m a shift)
• Order stock, and price and shelve incoming goods. (14m a shift)
• Sell and install accessories, such as batteries, windshield wiper blades, fan belts, bulbs, or headlamps. (14m a shift)
• Prepare daily reports of fuel, oil, and accessory sales. (14m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 97% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 95% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 83% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important

The median pay is about $35,670 a year ($17.15 an hour), 30% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $28,630 and $46,060 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 106,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 13,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 102,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.07% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 273rd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 106,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 59% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Operation and Control, Service Orientation
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 2h 21m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Home Appliance Repairers (0m touched, $51k median pay)
• Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (0m touched, $51k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 3 with robots in real deployments, 11 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.