disrupting the workforce
Texas makes top-10 list of states where AI could disrupt the most jobs
"Few occupations have been immune to the effects of emerging artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities," the study said.
A new nationwide report examining where AI could "reshape" the most jobs has ranked Texas No. 9 among the most at-risk states for AI job disruption.
The new SmartAsset report compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia to calculate the estimated percent of the workforce employed in the 26 occupations with the highest AI exposure, as determined by June 2026 research by the Virginia Economic Information and Analytics Division.
The findings revealed that 500,000 Texas workers, or 3.55 percent of the total workforce, are employed in occupations with "high exposure to potential AI disruption."
This also places the Lone Star State as the 9th most at-risk state in the U.S. where AI exposure can lead to "declining hiring demand, wage pressure, task automation, and other forms of disruption."
"States with larger concentrations of highly exposed occupations could experience more pronounced labor-market changes, particularly in roles where core tasks are more vulnerable to AI-driven restructuring," the report's author wrote.
Texas' biggest cities, like Houston and Austin, are known for their thriving tech and business industries, and the study noted that many of the occupations within those sectors are the most at risk. The Virginia Economic Information and Analytics Division said the top five most AI-exposed occupations in the U.S. are: mathematicians, proofreaders, correspondence clerks, court reporters, and media and communication workers. Additionally, computer programmers, database administrators, web developers, telephone operators, and communications equipment operators round out the top 10 most at-risk positions.
These are the 16 remaining occupations most exposed to AI disruption, in order:
- Data Entry Keyers
- Statistical Assistants
- Office Support Workers
- Interpreters and Translators
- Database Architects
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts
- Medical Transcriptionists
- Software Developers
- Writers and Authors
- Payroll Clerks
- Web Designers
- Miscellaneous Computer Occupations
- Insurance Claims Processors
- Telemarketers
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
A separate SmartAsset report from April 2026 found about 20.5 percent of Texas workers use AI to do their jobs in some capacity. That trend will continue to shift further as employers and employees choose to adopt — or reject — AI implementation.
Across the U.S., Washington topped the list as the state with the highest concentration of AI-exposed jobs, with nearly 5.7 percent of the state's workforce employed in the 26 most at-risk positions. SmartAsset said Washington's high prevalence of technology companies is a significant factor that skyrocketed the state to the top of the list.
"Home to major technology companies including Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile and Expedia, the state has large numbers of computer programmers and software developers, two occupations with high exposure," the report said.
Meanwhile, Mississippi ranked No. 51 with the lowest concentration of AI-exposed jobs in the nation. About 22,500 workers in Mississippi, or 1.93 percent of its workforce, are at risk for AI disruption.
The top 10 states where AI could reshape the most jobs are:
- No. 1 – Washington
- No. 2 – Virginia
- No. 3 – District of Columbia
- No. 4 – California
- No. 5 – Utah
- No. 6 – Maryland
- No. 7 – Colorado
- No. 8 – New Hampshire
- No. 9 – Texas
- No. 10 – North Carolina
