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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Pathologist

The Pathologist role combines repeatable operations with decisions that require professional context. The index measures task exposure to AI, software automation and robotics—not the probability that the occupation disappears.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

36%2026
41%2028
47%2030
55%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
Preliminary annotation of histology images43%
Detecting suspicious regions in a digital slide41%
Clinical validation of model output and diagnostic accountability14%
Drafting a preliminary assessment from patient data39%
Checking drug interactions and protocols43%
Clinical decisions and patient accountability13%
Completing medical records50%
Initial triage of cases40%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1Preliminary annotation of histology imagesAI 43% · human 66%
  2. 2Detecting suspicious regions in a digital slideAI 41% · human 70%
  3. 3Clinical validation of model output and diagnostic accountabilityAI 14% · human 69%
  4. 4Drafting a preliminary assessment from patient dataAI 39% · human 64%
  5. 5Checking drug interactions and protocolsAI 43% · human 60%
  6. 6Clinical decisions and patient accountabilityAI 13% · human 78%
  7. 7Completing medical recordsAI 50% · human 59%
  8. 8Initial triage of casesAI 40% · human 67%

Why technology can change this work

  • decision-support systems suggest diagnostic hypotheses and check prescriptions
  • AI accelerates analysis of images, records and laboratory indicators
  • documentation and preliminary triage can be automated
  • decision-support systems compare symptoms with large datasets

What protects the occupation

  • informed consent and treatment accountability
  • clinical accountability and high cost of error
  • a large share of value comes from human judgement, trust or personal accountability
  • physical examination, procedures and care
  • patient trust and holistic assessment

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$9 300per month
2035$12 550scenario estimate
2026: $9 30020262027: $9 60020272028: $9 95020282029: $10 30020292030: $10 65020302031: $11 00020312032: $11 35020322033: $11 75020332034: $12 15020342035: $12 5502035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Rehabilitation Robotics Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk8%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

Clinical AI Implementation Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Medical AI Safety Officer

Emerging role
New role risk10%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Clinical Genomics Coordinator

Emerging role
New role risk12%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit83%

Computational Pathology Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk15%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Remote Care Coordinator

Emerging role
New role risk13%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Clinical AI Implementation Specialist

Skill fit 87% · risk 14%

Search jobs ↗

Skills you already have

  • differential diagnosis
  • medical-risk communication
  • clinical reasoning
  • patient care
  • risk assessment
  • medical protocol compliance

Skills to build

  • clinical AI validation
  • data-driven medicine
  • medical AI systems
  • data interpretation
  • digital patient safety
  • validation of algorithmic recommendations
CurrentPathologist · 36%
→
Keepdifferential diagnosis · medical-risk communication · clinical reasoning
→
Addclinical AI validation · data-driven medicine · medical AI systems

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-25 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.