Will AI replace bridge and lock tenders?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 3h 23m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The other 4h 37m (58%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 2.3% fewer 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 6 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 3h 23m of a typical shift. 4 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Maintain and guard stations in bridges to check waterways for boat traffic. (1h 26m a shift; e.g. Knightscope K5 / K5v5 ASR, in use)
• Perform maintenance duties, such as sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities clean and in order. (49m a shift; e.g. Avidbots Neo, in use)
• Turn valves to increase or decrease water levels in locks. (18m a shift; e.g. VNF automated locks (ecluses automatisees, telecommande unique), in use)
• Stop automobile and pedestrian traffic on bridges, and lower automobile gates prior to moving bridges. (18m a shift; e.g. Four-quadrant automatic gate warning systems with vehicle presence detection (highway-rail grade crossings), in use)

4h 37m of a typical shift, or 58%, 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:

• Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges. (49m a shift)
• Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers. (37m a shift)
• Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass. (37m a shift)
• Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces. (31m a shift)
• Clean and lubricate equipment, and make minor repairs and adjustments. (31m 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:

• 79% say a mistake would be very or extremely serious
• 65% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 58% work outdoors in all weather every day

The median pay is about $57,700 a year ($27.74 an hour), 13% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $28,090 and $75,360 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 a decline of 2.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 3,100 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 300 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 3,040 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 758th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 3,100 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 65% 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: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Coordination
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 37m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Oracle PeopleSoft

These use similar skills. 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:

• Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (5h 14m touched, $50k median pay)
• Parking Attendants (2h 26m touched, $35k median pay)
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers (3h 26m touched, $41k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 6 with robots in real deployments, 12 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.