Bridge or lock tender
Operates bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses so ships can pass safely on waterways, and may supervise this work.
Will AI replace bridge or lock tender jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Low. More AI overlap than 0 in 100 jobs. AI touches a small part of this work. Most of the job happens with your hands, your body or in person. 0% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Record names, types, and destinations of vessels, and trains or vehicles crossing
- Write and send maintenance work requests
- Log data like water levels and weather conditions
What stays human
- Control machinery to open and close locks, dams, and drawbridges
- Move levers to activate traffic signals, navigation lights, and alarms
- Do upkeep like sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities tidy
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: -2.3%. Typical pay: $57,700 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
Try Bridge or lock tender for a day
MAYBE finds someone who does this work and sets up a real day with them. You see the job up close, including how AI shows up in it, and then we help you make sense of what you felt.