Metro Area
AI Job Risk in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA scores 46.8/100 for AI job risk, ranking #387 out of 396 us metro areas. That puts it in the bottom third for AI exposure — the local economy has relatively fewer jobs in AI-vulnerable occupations compared to other areas.
Ranked #387 of 396 us metro areas
Rank
#387
less exposed than most
Total Workforce
210 K
jobs analysed
High-Risk Jobs
4.6 K
2% of workforce
Out of
396
us metro areas
Most at Risk
Jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA most likely to be automated or transformed by AI
Data Entry Keyer
130 employed
Transcriptionist
90 employed
Bookkeeper
2.1 K employed
Customer Service Representative
1.6 K employed
Copywriter
50 employed
Computer Programmer
130 employed
Translator
90 employed
Web Developer
70 employed
Payroll Clerk
230 employed
Bank Teller
240 employed
Safest from AI
Jobs in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA least likely to be affected by AI
Tree Trimmer
100 employed
Roofer
280 employed
Landscaper
2.2 K employed
Grounds Maintenance Worker
80 employed
Lifeguard
150 employed
Zookeeper
400 employed
Glazier
60 employed
Massage Therapist
180 employed
Concrete Finisher
330 employed
Farm Worker
12 K employed
What this means
The exposure score (46.8/100) measures how much of Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA's workforce is in jobs that AI can automate or significantly change. It's not a prediction that jobs will disappear — it's a measure of how exposed the local economy is to AI-driven change.
How it works: We score 289 occupations from 0 (AI has little impact) to 100 (AI can do most of the job) using 10 research sources. We then match these scores to real employment data for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, weighting by how many people actually work in each role.
High-risk jobs (score 60+) include roles like customer service, data entry, and bookkeeping where AI can already handle most tasks. Low-risk jobs (score under 30) include trades, healthcare, and social work where physical presence or human judgement is essential.
Full methodology · Data covers 40% of occupation categories in this area