Verdict
Physical Therapist and Registered Nurse are effectively tied on AI exposure (12 vs 14). Choose on pay, interest and entry cost — not on automation risk.
Healthcare
12 /100
Helps patients recover movement and manage pain.
Full risk profile →| Metric | Physical Therapist | Registered Nurse |
|---|---|---|
| AI Fear Score | 12/100 | 14/100 |
| Risk band | Resilient | Resilient |
| Automation probability | 2% | 1% |
| LLM task exposure | 25% | 29% |
| Median pay (BLS) | $99,000 | $86,000 |
| US workers | 250,000 | 3,300,000 |
| Timeline | Resilient — hands-on, individualized care. | Resilient — hands-on care and judgment are hard to automate. |
The usual pivots that reuse your experience while cutting exposure: Nurse practitioner, Charge nurse. See the full plan →
They're effectively tied: Physical Therapist scores 12/100 and Registered Nurse scores 14/100 on our AI exposure scale.
Physical Therapist pays more at the median: $99,000 vs $86,000 (BLS May 2024).
Scores are estimates, not predictions — two research anchors applied to task mixes, with BLS May-2024 wages and employment. Not career advice.