Will AI replace securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 3h 43m 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 4h 17m (54%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.4% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 12 of 30 tasks, about 3h 43m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Monitor markets or positions. (50m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Contact prospective customers to present information and explain available services. (28m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Track and analyze factors that affect price movement, such as trade policies, weather conditions, political developments, or supply and demand changes. (22m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Offer advice on the purchase or sale of particular securities. (22m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Buy or sell stocks, bonds, commodity futures, foreign currencies, or other securities on behalf of investment dealers. (17m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

4h 17m of a typical shift, or 54%, 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:

• Discuss financial options with clients and keep them informed about transactions. (50m a shift)
• Interview clients to determine clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, or financial objectives. (22m a shift)
• Develop financial plans, based on analysis of clients' financial status. (22m a shift)
• Determine customers' financial services needs and prepare proposals to sell services that address these needs. (22m a shift)
• Make bids or offers to buy or sell securities. (17m 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:

• 82% talk face to face with others every day
• 80% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 78% are in constant contact with other people

We track 2 sourced company moves that affect this job. Most recent:

• Apr 16, 2026: Schwab plans client-facing AI agents over chat and voice in June (Announced)
• Jul 22, 2025: Morgan Stanley extends AI assistant and notetaker across wealth division (Rolling out)

For the 7 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 3h 32m for a person alone and about 33m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Prepare financial reports to monitor client or corporate finances (about 8h 3m alone, 33m with AI)
• Track and analyze factors that affect price movement, such as trade policies, weather conditions, political developments, or supply and demand changes (about 6h 18m alone, 47m with AI)
• Supply the latest price quotes on any security, as well as information on the activities or financial positions of the corporations issuing these securities (about 4h 47m alone, 37m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Sales sector are at 92% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 1.5% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 35,000 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 $78,660 a year ($37.82 an hour), 54% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $48,040 and $212,880 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 1.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 539,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 35,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 490,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.31% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 82nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 539,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 55% 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: Management of Financial Resources, Persuasion, Systems Analysis, Mathematics
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 17m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, C++, Linux, Microsoft Access
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

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:

• Loan Officers (1h 43m touched, $77k median pay)
• Personal Financial Advisors (3h 4m touched, $105k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 12 observed in real AI use, 18 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.