# Will bridge tenders be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Bridge tenders score 27 out of 100 for AI exposure. 54% of their task time needs a person. AI can do 28% and helps with 18%. - **28%** AI can do it - **18%** AI helps - **54%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 67% of the 923 jobs we scored. ## Task by task We graded 18 tasks, most exposed first. AI can do 4 of them, helps with 3 and leaves 11 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Log data, such as water levels and weather conditions. Sensor feeds and weather data can be logged automatically with minimal input. | 75% AI can do it | | Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges. Logging vessel names, types and vehicle counts is routine data capture. | 70% AI can do it | | Write and submit maintenance work requisitions. Writing and submitting maintenance requests is form-based writing and routing. | 70% AI can do it | | Prepare accident reports. Accident reports can be drafted from notes and sensor or camera records. | 65% AI can do it | | Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces. Camera and vision software could track vessel position and lock space. | 35% AI helps | ## How bridge tenders compare All jobs (923) Transportation and material moving (52) The dark line is **bridge tenders, at 27**. Each dot is a score, and darker dots mean more jobs share it. The short marks are the averages, 37 for all jobs and 25 for transportation and material moving. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $57,700 a year, May 2025 People employed 3,040 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs \-2.3% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Turn lock valves to fill and drain chambers - Raise and lower drawbridges with the operating controls - Attach cable lines to bitts for vessel mooring - Judge vessel size and speed by sight and whistle - Check sensor logs against site conditions in Excel - Submit maintenance requisitions in Oracle PeopleSoft ## Safer roles nearby 5 related jobs with lower scores. - [Railroad brakemen12 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/railroad-brakemen/) - [Motorboat operators14 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/motorboat-operators/) - [Hoist operators13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/hoist-operators/) - [Rail yard engineers19 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/rail-yard-engineers/) - [Locomotive engineers22 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/locomotive-engineers/) ## Questions about bridge tenders and AI Will AI replace bridge tenders? Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly logging water levels and weather data and recording vessel names and vehicle counts. Turning lock valves, raising drawbridges and tying off vessels stay with people because they need a person on site with the equipment. Which bridge tender tasks will AI take over? Logging data is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 75, because sensor feeds and weather data can be recorded automatically. Writing maintenance work requisitions scores 70 since it is form-based writing and routing, and preparing accident reports scores 65 because drafts can come from sensor and camera records. Which bridge tender tasks stay with people? Attaching cable lines to bitts scores 2 on exposure, the lowest on the list, because it is physical dockside work. Turning lock valves and raising drawbridges each score 5, since they run hands-on machinery that a person must operate in place. How can bridge tenders stay valuable? Keep the hands-on work that scores lowest, such as turning lock valves and lowering automobile gates before a bridge lift. Build skill in judging vessel size, speed and whistle signals, since that stays with you while cameras handle logging. Use Excel to check sensor logs against what you see on site. ## Related jobs - [Ship captains26 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/ship-captains/) - [Crane operators19 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/crane-operators/) - [Sailors13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/sailors/) - [Forklift operators10 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/forklift-operators/) ## Next steps for bridge tenders - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV to see which tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) - ### Estimate team savings The score is per person. Add headcount and salary to see the hours AI can take on in a team of bridge tenders, and what they cost. [Estimate what AI saves a team of bridge tenders](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/team-ai-audit/?role=bridge-tenders) [Work out the return on automation](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-savings-calculator/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Roustabouts score lowest, at 6.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Pediatric surgeons earn a median $559,030 and score 29.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Roustabouts need little prior training and score 6.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**AI helps with 98% of the task time for health informatics specialists.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we score, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 job groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Sources and licences Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.