Will podiatrists be replaced by AI?
Updated
Podiatrists score 31 out of 100 for AI exposure. AI helps with 49% of their task time, and they stay in charge. AI can do another 8%. 43% needs a person.
- 8% AI can do it
- 49% AI helps
- 43% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Lower than 60% of the 923 jobs we scored.
Task by task
We graded 11 tasks, most exposed first. AI can do 1 of them, helps with 5 and leaves 5 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Perform administrative duties, such as hiring employees, ordering supplies, or keeping records. Scheduling, ordering, and record keeping are routine digital work. | 62% AI can do it |
| Educate the public about the benefits of foot care through techniques such as speaking engagements, advertising, and other forums. AI drafts ads, articles, and talk outlines; delivery stays live. | 55% AI helps |
| Advise patients about treatments and foot care techniques necessary for prevention of future problems. AI drafts care instructions; the advice itself stays in person. | 45% AI helps |
| Diagnose diseases and deformities of the foot using medical histories, physical examinations, x-rays, and laboratory test results. AI can summarize histories and read imaging; clinician confirms diagnosis. | 40% AI helps |
| Prescribe medications, corrective devices, physical therapy, or surgery. Clinician decides; AI drafts orders and checks interactions. | 30% AI helps |
| Refer patients to physicians when symptoms indicative of systemic disorders, such as arthritis or diabetes, are observed in feet and legs. AI can flag systemic warning signs in records for referral. | 30% AI helps |
| Treat bone, muscle, and joint disorders affecting the feet and ankles. Mostly hands on treatment of foot and ankle disorders; AI adds little. | 12% Needs a person |
| Make and fit prosthetic appliances. Fitting appliances to a patient's body needs physical work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Treat deformities using mechanical methods, such as whirlpool or paraffin baths, and electrical methods, such as short wave and low voltage currents. Operating baths and current devices needs in person treatment. | 5% Needs a person |
| Surgically treat conditions such as corns, calluses, ingrown nails, tumors, shortened tendons, bunions, cysts, or abscesses. Hands on surgery on skin and nails needs physical skill. | 4% Needs a person |
| Correct deformities by means of plaster casts and strapping. Casting and strapping deformities is physical work on the patient. | 3% Needs a person |
How podiatrists compare
All jobs (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $160,300 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 9,680 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +2.0% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Chart patient visits in Fox Meadows MediNotes e
- Review x-ray and scanner imaging before confirming diagnosis
- Perform surgical treatment of ingrown nails and bunions
- Cast and strap foot deformities on the patient
- Fit prosthetic appliances to each patient's foot
- Check AI-drafted medication orders before signing off
Safer roles nearby
5 related jobs with lower scores.
Questions about podiatrists and AI
Will AI replace podiatrists?
Partly. About 3 in 10 of a podiatrist's working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly administrative duties and public education. Diagnosis, surgery and hands-on foot care stay with podiatrists because they need a person in the room.
Which podiatry tasks is AI taking over?
Administrative duties lead the list with an exposure score of 62, because scheduling, ordering supplies and record keeping are routine digital work. Public education follows at 55, since AI drafts ads, articles and talk outlines while live delivery stays with the podiatrist.
Which podiatry tasks stay human?
Casting and strapping deformities score 3 for exposure, and surgical treatment of corns, calluses and ingrown nails scores 4. Both are physical work on the patient's body, so AI adds little and the hands-on work stays with the podiatrist.
How can podiatrists stay valuable?
Use AI to draft care instructions and visit notes in MediNotes e or Quick Notes PDQ Podiatry, then check each draft before it goes to the patient. Spend the hours freed from paperwork on casting, strapping and surgical treatment, which AI adds little to.
Related jobs
Next steps for podiatrists
Check which roles in your team AI can take on
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