Will AI replace community health workers?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 47m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by robots. The other 7h 13m (90%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 12.7% 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 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 47m of a typical shift. 1 more task has only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so it stays with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Distribute flyers, brochures, or other informational or educational documents to inform members of a targeted community. (13m a shift; e.g. Relay / Relay2, in use)
• Perform basic diagnostic procedures, such as blood pressure screening, breast cancer screening, or communicable disease screening. (13m a shift; e.g. Pursuant Health self-service health kiosk, in use)
• Transport or accompany clients to scheduled health appointments or referral sites. (13m a shift; e.g. Waymo One, in use)
• Provide basic health services, such as first aid. (7m a shift; e.g. higi Smart Health Station, in use)

7h 13m of a typical shift, or 90%, 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:

• Maintain updated client records with plans, notes, appropriate forms, or related information. (1h a shift)
• Contact clients in person, by phone, or in writing to ensure they have completed required or recommended actions. (40m a shift)
• Conduct home visits for pregnant women, newborn infants, or other high-risk individuals to monitor their progress or assess their needs. (40m a shift)
• Refer community members to needed health services. (27m a shift)
• Advise clients or community groups on issues related to improving general health, such as diet or exercise. (20m 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:

• 76% talk face to face with others every day
• 69% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 56% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety

On Indeed, job postings in the Community & Social Service sector are at 105% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 6.2% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 7,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $51,850 a year ($24.93 an hour), 2% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $38,810 and $77,180 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 12.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 73,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 7,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 62,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.04% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 351st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 73,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 52% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. 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: Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Persuasion, Management of Personnel Resources
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 13m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Apple macOS

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:

• Health Education Specialists (1h 11m touched, $64k median pay)
• Child, Family, and School Social Workers (0m touched, $60k median pay)
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (1h 14m touched, $60k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 with robots in real deployments, 24 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.