Preventive Medicine Physicians
Machines can already do 33% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 52%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Preventive Medicine Physicians in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 33% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 3% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 52% 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 80% for contact with people.
- Also called: Occupational Medicine Physician, Occupational Physician, Physician, Preventive Medicine Physician.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct or manage prevention programs in specialty areas such as aerospace, occupational, infectious disease, and environmental medicine | 14% | 9% to 23% | |
| Document or review comprehensive patients' histories with an emphasis on occupation or environmental risks | 10% | 56% to 76% | |
| Supervise or coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, statisticians, or other professional staff members | 10% | 9% to 23% | |
| Perform epidemiological investigations of acute and chronic diseases | 9% | 50% to 72% | |
| Design or use surveillance tools, such as screening, lab reports, and vital records, to identify health risks | 8% | 32% to 55% | |
| Prepare preventive health reports, including problem descriptions, analyses, alternative solutions, and recommendations | 8% | 63% to 81% | |
| Identify groups at risk for specific preventable diseases or injuries | 5% | 52% to 74% | |
| Direct public health education programs dealing with topics such as preventable diseases, injuries, nutrition, food service sanitation, water supply safety, sewage and waste disposal, insect control, and immunizations | 5% | 9% to 23% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills preventive medicine physicians use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric38% of tasks by 2035 · US median $358,550
- Pediatric Surgeons39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $559,030
- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric37% of tasks by 2035 · US median $300,080
- Veterinarians36% of tasks by 2035 · US median $130,100
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Preventive Medicine Physicians?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of preventive medicine physicians?
Machines can do 33% of the tasks of preventive medicine physicians today and 52% 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 29-1229.05 (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). Preventive Medicine Physicians: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/preventive-medicine-physicians/