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Graphic · AI & Work · 2026

Jobs Most Exposed to AI by State (2026)

The AI Waterline: every state filled to the share of its workers in the 26 jobs most exposed to AI. Washington's tide runs highest, nearly three times Mississippi's, while businesses' own AI use keeps rising.

Updated Nov 12, 20266 charts · 4 key stats6 primary sourcesEmbed & share ↓
Fig. 1

The AI Waterline

AI exposure by state: share of each state's workers employed in the 26 occupations most exposed to AI. Each square is one state, filled from the bottom (a full square = 6%). The dashed line in every square marks the U.S. rate, 3.23%. States above it are highlighted; click the legend to switch.

Fill: 0.000% (empty) to 6.000% (full) U.S. 3.23%
WA5.679%WA5.679%VA4.634%VA4.634%DC4.482%DC4.482%CA3.977%CA3.977%UT3.968%UT3.968%MD3.911%MD3.911%CO3.720%CO3.720%NH3.663%NH3.663%TX3.553%TX3.553%NC3.530%NC3.530%SD3.450%SD3.450%OR3.444%OR3.444%NJ3.355%NJ3.355%MA3.231%MA3.231%MN3.214%MN3.214%GA3.191%GA3.191%AZ3.112%AZ3.112%NY3.107%NY3.107%TN3.103%TN3.103%NE3.061%NE3.061%FL3.029%FL3.029%CT2.936%CT2.936%MI2.883%MI2.883%MO2.836%MO2.836%IL2.764%IL2.764%WI2.761%WI2.761%RI2.755%RI2.755%WV2.737%WV2.737%KS2.731%KS2.731%PA2.729%PA2.729%IA2.694%IA2.694%DE2.673%DE2.673%VT2.649%VT2.649%OH2.607%OH2.607%AL2.556%AL2.556%ME2.510%ME2.510%ID2.486%ID2.486%MT2.481%MT2.481%NV2.463%NV2.463%AK2.393%AK2.393%SC2.380%SC2.380%ND2.343%ND2.343%KY2.341%KY2.341%OK2.307%OK2.307%LA2.288%LA2.288%IN2.242%IN2.242%AR2.230%AR2.230%WY2.205%WY2.205%NM2.109%NM2.109%HI2.097%HI2.097%MS1.934%MS1.934%

Workers in the 26 occupations Virginia Works rates most exposed to AI, divided by each state's total employment, using BLS occupational employment for May 2025 (SmartAsset's calculation). The U.S. rate is derived: the 51 state counts summed (5,024,380) over the implied state totals (each count ÷ its share). Exposure measures contact between AI and job tasks, not forecast job losses.

SourcesSmartAsset (state table)1; SmartAsset2; Virginia Works3
Washington's workers in high-exposure jobs
5.7%
5.679% of the workforce, the highest of 50 states + DC
SourceSmartAsset (state table)1
U.S. workers in the 26 most AI-exposed jobs
5.02M
5,024,380 across 50 states + DC, about 3.23% of jobs (derived)
SourceSmartAsset (state table)1
Most vs. least exposed state
2.9×
Washington 5.679% vs. Mississippi 1.934%
SourceSmartAsset (state table)1
U.S. businesses using AI, Oct 5–18, 2026
24.2%
up from 17.3% in the first wave of the new question (Nov 3–16, 2025)
SourceCensus BTOS (national)4
Fig. 2

California has the most workers in AI-exposed jobs: 724,370

AI-exposed jobs by state, top 10 by number of workers in the 26 high-exposure occupations, May 2025 employment

California724,370Texas500,000New York300,980Florida300,790Washington201,650Virginia190,440North Carolina174,440Illinois168,560Pennsylvania165,490Georgia156,010

Big states lead on headcount even where the share is middling: California is 4th by share (3.977%), New York 18th and Florida 21st. Tooltip shares are of the 5,024,380 summed across all 51 rows (derived). SmartAsset's Texas figure is printed as exactly 500,000.

SourceSmartAsset (state table)1
Fig. 3

Computer programmers score 95%: AI could touch almost every task

Jobs most exposed to AI: share of each occupation's tasks that AI could augment or replace, Virginia Works scores for 18 of the 26 occupations

Mathematicians100%Programmers95%Database admins94%Web developers93%Data entry keyers89%Office support89%Database architects88%Software QA testers88%Translators88%Transcriptionists88%Software developers87%Writers & authors87%Payroll clerks84%Other computer jobs83%Claims processors83%Web designers83%Telemarketers81%Bookkeeping clerks80%

Whole-percent labels as printed on Virginia Works' employment chart (p. 6); names shortened from the BLS titles (e.g. Translators = Interpreters and Translators, Transcriptionists = Medical Transcriptionists, Office support = Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other). The other 8 of the 26 (proofreaders, correspondence clerks, court reporters, media and communication workers, telephone operators, communications equipment operators, statistical assistants and CNC tool programmers) appear on its p. 5 ranking without printed values. Software developers are highlighted because they are the largest high-exposure occupation in Virginia's employment.

SourceVirginia Works3
Fig. 4

Business AI use rose from 17.3% to 24.2% in a year

AI adoption by U.S. businesses: share that used AI in any business function in the prior two weeks, by survey wave

010%20%30%Dec 1–14, 2025Apr 20–May 3, 2026Sep 7–20, 202624.2%17.3%

Census changed the question in November 2025 from AI use “in producing goods or services” to use “in any of its business functions,” so this series starts with the new wording and is not comparable with earlier BTOS rates. The current questionnaire calls it “Super Intelligence or SI (formerly referred to as Artificial Intelligence or AI).” Biweekly survey estimates; small moves between waves may be noise.

SourcesCensus BTOS (national)4; Census Bureau5
Fig. 5

States with more exposed jobs tend to use more AI, loosely

AI exposure vs. AI adoption by state: share of workers in high-exposure jobs (left to right) and share of businesses using AI (up), dot size = exposed workers

Top 5 by exposure 5 Other states 46Dot area = workers in high-exposure jobs
10%20%30%40%2%3%4%5%6%Workers in high-exposure jobs →↑ Businesses using AI (Jul 27–Oct 18, 2026 avg.)U.S. 3.23%WADCMSNYUT

Business AI use is the simple average of the six latest BTOS waves (reference periods Jul 27 to Oct 18, 2026), our calculation, because single-wave state estimates swing widely. The correlation across all 51 is about 0.55 (0.49 without DC), our calculation. The two measures differ: one counts workers by occupation, the other counts businesses.

SourcesSmartAsset (state table)1; Census BTOS (states)6
Fig. 6

Only 2.5% of businesses say AI cut their headcount

AI job losses so far: how businesses say their AI use changed total headcount over the last six months, Oct 5–18, 2026 wave

87.3%
  • No change87.3%87.3%
  • Increased6.6%6.6%
  • Decreased2.5%2.5%
  • Do not know3.6%3.6%
  • All responses100%100%

First wave with this question, so there is no trend yet. A companion question on new hires: 3.3% said AI decreased hiring and 2.5% said it increased hiring. Census's download does not say whether these questions went to all businesses or only AI users; shares are as published.

SourceCensus BTOS (national)4
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Which state has the most jobs exposed to AI?

Washington does. 5.679% of its workers hold one of the 26 jobs most exposed to AI, according to SmartAsset's analysis of May 2025 federal employment data. That is the highest share of any state and nearly three times Mississippi's 1.934%, the lowest. Virginia (4.634%), the District of Columbia (4.482%), California (3.977%) and Utah (3.968%) round out the top five. Across all 50 states and DC, these occupations employ 5,024,380 people, or about 3.23% of jobs (our derivation from SmartAsset's table).

The AI Waterline in Figure 1 fills each state to its share. Twelve states and DC sit above the national line, led by tech hubs and the capital region. Washington is home to Microsoft and Amazon and has large numbers of software developers and computer programmers. South Dakota ranks 11th, well above North Dakota at 42nd, which SmartAsset links to South Dakota's financial-services sector and its bookkeepers and accounting clerks.

Which states have the most AI-exposed workers?

California has the most: 724,370 workers in high-exposure jobs. Texas follows at 500,000, then New York (300,980) and Florida (300,790). Headcount and share tell different stories. New York ranks 18th by share, but its sheer size puts it third by number of workers. Washington, first by share, is fifth by count.

What jobs are most exposed to AI?

Mathematicians top the list with an exposure score of 100%. Virginia Works defines the score as the share of a job's tasks that AI could augment or replace. Computer programmers (95%), database administrators (94%) and web developers (93%) follow. The 26 occupations mix highly paid technical work, such as software developers (87%), with routine clerical roles like data entry keyers (89%) and bookkeeping clerks (80%). Virginia Works notes that this wave reaches higher-wage, more educated workers than earlier automation did. It also cautions that exposure “is a measure of contact between AI and work, not a forecast of unemployment.”

Are businesses in AI-exposed states using AI more?

Somewhat. In the Census Bureau's latest survey wave (Oct 5–18, 2026), 24.2% of U.S. businesses said they used AI in a business function, up from 17.3% in November 2025. Across states, average business AI use over the last six waves runs from 13.6% in West Virginia to 34.6% in DC. It correlates only moderately (about 0.55) with the share of workers in exposed jobs. Among the five most exposed, DC (34.6%) and Utah (31.5%) report the most business AI use. New York, 18th by exposure, reports just 17.8%.

Is AI cutting jobs yet?

Not in large numbers, according to businesses. In the same Census wave, 2.5% of businesses said AI had decreased their total headcount over the last six months, 6.6% said it increased headcount, and 87.3% reported no change. On hiring, 3.3% said AI reduced new hires and 2.5% said it raised them. Those are first readings of new questions. A high exposure share marks where change could concentrate, not where layoffs have already happened.

Methodology & caveats

State exposure figures are SmartAsset's: workers in 26 occupations (from Virginia Works' June 2026 research) divided by total employment in each state, using Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment estimates for May 2025. SmartAsset notes that small differences between states are not statistically significant. The U.S. total (5,024,380) and rate (3.23%) are our sums of SmartAsset's 51 rows, and the 2.9× ratio is derived. The rate's denominator is implied from each state's count and share, so it carries their rounding. Occupation scores are the whole-percent labels printed on Virginia Works' chart; 8 of the 26 occupations have no printed value. Business AI use comes from the Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey, a biweekly survey of businesses, not workers. Its wording changed in November 2025, and the current form calls AI “Super Intelligence or SI.” State business rates are our simple average of six waves; Census suppressed some waves for Alaska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wyoming. The periods differ: employment is May 2025, while the survey runs from November 2025 to October 2026. Visual Capitalist's map of the same study was the lead for this graphic; all figures here were taken from the original publishers.

Sources

  1. [1]
    SmartAsset. State table for “Where AI Could Reshape the Most Jobs” (workers in 26 high-exposure occupations and share of each state's workforce)https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/OIp5t/4/
  2. [2]
    SmartAsset. Where AI Could Reshape the Most Jobs — 2026 Study (published Sep 14, 2026)https://smartasset.com/data-studies/where-ai-could-reshape-the-most-jobs-2026-study
  3. [3]
    Virginia Works, Economic Information & Analytics. Artificial Intelligence and Its Implications for Virginia's Workforce (June 2026)https://virginiaworks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AI-Implications-Report-June-2026-FINAL-LOCKED.pdf
  4. [4]
    U.S. Census Bureau. Business Trends and Outlook Survey, national response estimates (National.xlsx)https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/downloads/National.xlsx
  5. [5]
    U.S. Census Bureau. Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (America Counts, May 26, 2026)https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2026/05/ai-use-businesses.html
  6. [6]
    U.S. Census Bureau. Business Trends and Outlook Survey, state response estimates (State.xlsx)https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/downloads/State.xlsx
Cite this graphicLLM.co. “Jobs Most Exposed to AI by State (2026).” LLM.co Graphics, updated 2026-11-12. https://llm.co/graphics/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai-by-state