AI job risk in Canada
Generative AI exposure is measured on a 0–10 scale, where 10 indicates tasks most susceptible to being reshaped by AI. For Canada, the employment-weighted average exposure across 551 occupations and 21,540,980 workers is 5.5. This score is a moderate level, meaning many jobs have a mix of tasks that could be assisted or automated by generative AI. Importantly, exposure does not imply job loss; it signals where AI is likely to change how tasks are performed first, often by augmenting human work rather than replacing it entirely.
Occupations with the highest exposure, scoring 9 or 10, are overwhelmingly in administrative and clerical roles such as banking clerks, accounting clerks, data entry clerks, and receptionists. These roles involve structured data processing, record keeping, and routine communication — tasks generative AI handles well. In contrast, jobs scoring 1 — like painters, labourers, plasterers, and heavy equipment operators — involve physical manipulation or non-routine manual tasks, where AI has limited impact. By industry, exposure is highest in IT & Digital (7.9) and Business, Finance & Legal (7.8), reflecting their reliance on information processing, and lowest in hands-on sectors such as construction and food processing.
20 jobs most exposed to AI in Canada
| # | Occupation | Code | Exposure | Average annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banking, insurance and other financial clerks | 14201 | 10/10 | $56,160 | 105,000 |
| 2 | Accounting and related clerks | 14200 | 10/10 | $56,160 | 98,000 |
| 3 | Data entry clerks | 14111 | 10/10 | $52,000 | 35,000 |
| 4 | Weigh Scale Operators | 14413 | 10/10 | — | 3,500 |
| 5 | Administrative assistants | 13110 | 9/10 | $58,240 | 400,000 |
| 6 | Auditors and Accountants | 11100 | 9/10 | $93,600 | 140,000 |
| 7 | Personnel clerks | 14102 | 9/10 | $60,320 | 134,000 |
| 8 | Receptionist | 14101 | 9/10 | $45,760 | 120,000 |
| 9 | Security guards and related security service occupations | 64409 | 9/10 | $49,920 | 120,000 |
| 10 | Management consultants and business analysts | 21240 | 9/10 | — | 112,000 |
| 11 | Financial auditors and accountants | 11102 | 9/10 | $91,520 | 110,000 |
| 12 | Executive assistants | 12100 | 9/10 | $74,880 | 105,000 |
| 13 | Customer services representatives - financial institutions | 64400 | 9/10 | $49,920 | 98,000 |
| 14 | Payroll clerk | 13102 | 9/10 | $64,480 | 75,000 |
| 15 | Legal administrative assistants | 13111 | 9/10 | $62,400 | 65,000 |
| 16 | Financial sales representatives | 63102 | 9/10 | $72,800 | 65,000 |
| 17 | Computer network and web technicians | 22220 | 9/10 | $79,040 | 47,000 |
| 18 | Financial and investment analysts | 11101 | 9/10 | $99,840 | 43,000 |
| 19 | Financial and investment analysts | 1112 | 9/10 | — | 36,000 |
| 20 | Financial investment manager | 11104 | 9/10 | — | 35,000 |
20 jobs least exposed to AI in Canada
| # | Occupation | Code | Exposure | Average annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Painters and Decorators | 73112 | 1/10 | $60,320 | 90,000 |
| 2 | Labourers in food and beverage processing | 95106 | 1/10 | $43,680 | 65,000 |
| 3 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers | 73102 | 1/10 | $70,720 | 55,000 |
| 4 | Heavy Equipment Operators | 73400 | 1/10 | $70,720 | 47,600 |
| 5 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 73200 | 1/10 | $58,240 | 45,000 |
| 6 | Concrete finishers | 73100 | 1/10 | $70,720 | 45,000 |
| 7 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers | 94141 | 1/10 | $47,840 | 32,000 |
| 8 | Metal Fabricators, Fitters and Structural Metal Workers | 72104 | 1/10 | $62,400 | 31,000 |
| 9 | Floor covering installers | 73113 | 1/10 | $58,240 | 28,000 |
| 10 | Ironworkers | 72105 | 1/10 | $85,280 | 28,000 |
| 11 | Meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale | 65202 | 1/10 | $43,680 | 25,000 |
| 12 | Butchers - retail and wholesale | 63201 | 1/10 | $43,680 | 25,000 |
| 13 | Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics | 94213 | 1/10 | $54,080 | 23,000 |
| 14 | Sheet metal workers | 72102 | 1/10 | $70,720 | 22,000 |
| 15 | Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing | 95104 | 1/10 | $43,680 | 18,000 |
| 16 | Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers | 85111 | 1/10 | $64,480 | 15,600 |
| 17 | Labourers in food, beverage and tobacco processing | 95100 | 1/10 | $58,240 | 15,000 |
| 18 | Tilers | 73101 | 1/10 | $70,720 | 15,000 |
| 19 | Metalworking and Forging Machine Operators | 95103 | 1/10 | $52,000 | 15,000 |
| 20 | Concrete, clay and stone forming operators | 94103 | 1/10 | $56,160 | 13,500 |
AI exposure by industry
| Industry | Occupations | Employed | Avg. exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT & Digital | 14 | 768,300 | 8/10 |
| Business, Finance & Legal | 74 | 5,008,100 | 8/10 |
| Government & Public Sector | 36 | 1,148,700 | 7/10 |
| Engineering & Infrastructure | 46 | 758,300 | 7/10 |
| Education & Community | 32 | 1,439,900 | 6/10 |
| Transport, Logistics & Mining | 59 | 1,495,180 | 6/10 |
| Creative, Media & Personal Services | 47 | 1,132,100 | 5/10 |
| Healthcare & Care | 52 | 1,860,300 | 5/10 |
| Hospitality, Retail & Tourism | 35 | 3,519,900 | 4/10 |
| Agriculture & Environment | 31 | 554,200 | 4/10 |
| Trades & Construction | 125 | 3,856,000 | 3/10 |
Explore more
Frequently asked questions
How much AI risk do jobs in Canada face?
Across 551 occupations covering about 21,540,980 workers, Canada has an employment-weighted average generative-AI exposure of 5.5 on a 0–10 scale — an elevated level. A higher score means a larger share of a role's day-to-day tasks can already be performed or assisted by AI.
Which jobs in Canada are most at risk from AI?
The most exposed occupations in Canada are Banking, insurance and other financial clerks, Accounting and related clerks, Data entry clerks, Weigh Scale Operators, Administrative assistants. These are roles built around routine information work — writing, data handling and analysis — that large language models already handle well.
Which jobs in Canada are least exposed to AI?
The least exposed occupations include Painters and Decorators, Labourers in food and beverage processing, Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers. Physical, hands-on and in-person tasks are much harder for current AI to automate, so these roles score low.
Does a high AI exposure score mean the job will be lost?
No. Exposure measures how much of a role's tasks AI can perform or assist with — not whether the job will disappear. A high score flags where AI is most likely to reshape tasks first, and where workers may benefit from building complementary skills.
Which industries in Canada are most exposed to AI?
By employment-weighted average exposure, the most exposed industries in Canada are IT & Digital, Business, Finance & Legal, Government & Public Sector.
How is the AI exposure score calculated?
Every occupation is scored 0–10 by combining two published research datasets — the ILO's Working Paper 140 index and OpenAI's ‘GPTs are GPTs’ task-exposure study — mapped onto Canada's official occupation classification and ranked on a single global percentile scale so scores stay comparable between countries.
Methodology & sources
Every occupation is scored 0–10 for generative-AI exposure by combining two open, published research datasets — the ILO's Working Paper 140 index and OpenAI's GPTs are GPTs task-exposure study — mapped onto Canada's official occupation classification, then ranked on a single global percentile scale so the numbers stay comparable between countries. Tile area is the size of each occupation's workforce, from official statistics. Full methodology & data sources →
Download / share this map
