Mapping Your Future: Top States That Support Sustainable Careers Amidst AI Growth

As AI (artificial intelligence) advances, it’s natural for students to be concerned over how it may impact job prospects and job security. 23% of workers in the U.S. already have jobs that involve AI in some capacity, Pew Research Center reveals. Yet, rather reassuringly, most workers that use AI a lot to assist with tasks don’t feel threatened by it (for example, 32% of IT workers say AI will help more than hurt them, whereas only 11% say the opposite). Nevertheless, it pays to be prepared and future-proof your career against AI. Job hunting in the most AI-proof states (namely Texas, Arizona, and California) can help you build a sustainable career that’s unlikely to be replaced by robots any time soon.

California: Fast-Growth Tech Cities

Tech hubs across California like San Francisco, San Jose, and Silicon Valley (the tech capital of the state) are reported to offer strong job security as careers in AI become the new normal. For example, roles in data analysis, machine learning, and cybersecurity are expected to grow by 30% within the next five years. 162,000 jobs are also expected to open in Sacramento within the next decade — that’s a growth rate of 16%. Even better, most of these positions pay at least $50,000. Computer information and research scientists, for example, are in particularly high demand. 220 jobs are expected in this sector by 2030 in Sacramento, up from 150 in 2020, with an average annual salary of $154,259.

Arizona: Job Growth Expected Across All Sectors

Industries like manufacturing, construction, technology, and healthcare are big in Arizona, which gives the state an edge over others that focus on just one industry alone. When a state hyper-specializes in one industry, jobs are typically more prone to AI replacement. Phoenix has been crowned the most AI-proof city in the U.S for this very reason. It’s home to varied careers and specialized jobs that can’t easily be automated like surgeons and heavy equipment operators. Arizona is therefore one of the states less vulnerable to AI transformation, and is worth relocating to for better job security.

A new report by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity further predicts solid job growth in all fifteen counties within the state and across all sectors (minus government), so moving here for a sustainable career is a fairly safe bet. “Arizona employment is projected to increase from 3,030,216 jobs in 2020 to 3,751,905 jobs in 2030”, the report reveals. That’s a job growth rate three times higher than the country’s projected growth rate for this period.

Texas: Sustainable Careers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

The Lone Star state of Texas can also offer good job security and robot-proof careers. In particular, Dallas-Fort Worth in the northern part of the state had the second-highest number of new job openings (154,000) out of all metroplexes in the country in 2023, second to only New York City. And economists predict these promising numbers will continue into the future. By 2040, Dallas is expected to have 789,752 more job positions, an increase of almost 80%, while Fort Worth will have 390,961 more, an impressive 85% increase.

Technology, defense and security, and financial services are the biggest industries in Dallas, while manufacturing, oil and gas, aviation, and aerospace are booming in Fort Worth. The metroplex is also a leading area for startups. This means there’ll be more open positions in technology as well.

AI-proof states can help set you up for a sustainable career. California, Arizona, and Texas are some of the best areas most likely to offer secure jobs that won’t be replaced by robots any time soon.