Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants
Machines can already do 28% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 70%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 28% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 70% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 102,010 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $35,670 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 83% for contact with people.
- Also called: Attendant, Dock Attendant, Dock Hand, Fuel Attendant.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activate fuel pumps and fill fuel tanks of vehicles with gasoline or diesel fuel to specified levels | 40% | 30% to 75% | |
| Collect cash payments from customers, and make change or charge purchases to customers' credit cards, providing customers with receipts | 22% | 30% to 75% | |
| Clean parking areas, offices, restrooms, or equipment, and remove trash | 9% | 30% to 75% | |
| Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required | 6% | 20% to 60% | |
| Perform minor repairs, such as adjusting brakes, replacing spark plugs, or changing engine oil or filters | 4% | 3% to 30% | |
| Order stock, and price and shelve incoming goods | 3% | 20% to 60% | |
| Sell and install accessories, such as batteries, windshield wiper blades, fan belts, bulbs, or headlamps | 3% | 3% to 30% | |
| Prepare daily reports of fuel, oil, and accessory sales | 3% | 70% to 95% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills automotive and watercraft service attendants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Carpet Installers54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $50,340
- Mechanical Door Repairers52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $55,720
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $42,360
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators63% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,020
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of automotive and watercraft service attendants?
Machines can do 28% of the tasks of automotive and watercraft service attendants today and 70% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 53-6031.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/automotive-and-watercraft-service-attendants/