Hospitalists
Machines can already do 19% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 41%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Hospitalists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 19% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 3% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2039, and 41% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 342,720 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $265,930 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 90% for contact with people.
- Also called: Academic Hospitalist, Consultant Physician, Hospitalist, Hospitalist Medical Doctor (Hospitalist MD).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnose, treat, or provide continuous care to hospital inpatients | 30% | 3% to 25% | |
| Admit patients for hospital stays | 13% | 3% to 25% | |
| Order or interpret the results of tests such as laboratory tests and radiographs (x-rays) | 11% | 50% to 74% | |
| Prescribe medications or treatment regimens to hospital inpatients | 9% | 45% to 72% | |
| Conduct discharge planning and discharge patients | 8% | 32% to 55% | |
| Direct, coordinate, or supervise the patient care activities of nursing or support staff | 5% | 9% to 23% | |
| Write patient discharge summaries and send them to primary care physicians | 4% | 45% to 66% | |
| Refer patients to medical specialists, social services, or other professionals as appropriate | 4% | 9% to 27% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills hospitalists use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
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- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric37% of tasks by 2035 · US median $300,080
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Hospitalists?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2039. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of hospitalists?
Machines can do 19% of the tasks of hospitalists today and 41% 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 29-1229.02 (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). Hospitalists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/hospitalists/