Nurse Practitioners
Machines can already do 37% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 57%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Nurse Practitioners in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 37% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 9% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 57% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 323,040 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $132,300 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 90% for contact with people.
- Also called: ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), Adult Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), ARNP Specialist (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Specialist).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses | 17% | 63% to 81% | |
| Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses | 11% | 74% to 82% | |
| Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes | 7% | 16% to 34% | |
| Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines | 6% | 32% to 55% | |
| Diagnose or treat acute health care problems, such as illnesses, infections, or injuries | 6% | 3% to 25% | |
| Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays) | 6% | 45% to 72% | |
| Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability | 4% | 36% to 57% | |
| Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary | 4% | 3% to 25% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills nurse practitioners use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Sports Medicine Physicians42% of tasks by 2035 · US median $265,930
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $265,930
- Physician Assistants51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $135,880
- Family Medicine Physicians50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $244,180
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Nurse Practitioners?
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 nurse practitioners?
Machines can do 37% of the tasks of nurse practitioners today and 57% 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 29-1171.00 (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). Nurse Practitioners: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/nurse-practitioners/