Health Care and Social Assistance
Sector · NAICS 62
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Health Care and Social Assistance is a U.S. industry in the NAICS classification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 23,103,420 workers across 507 detailed occupations in it. A typical worker earns around $62,154 a year (Singulariki estimate, see below).
The Sector as a Whole The Health Care and Social Assistance sector comprises establishments providing health care and social assistance for individuals. The sector includes both health care and social assistance because it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the boundaries of these two activities. The industries in this sector are arranged on a continuum starting with establishments providing medical care exclusively, continuing with those providing health care and social assistance, and finally finishing with those providing only social assistance. Establishments in this sector deliver services by trained professionals. All industries in the sector share this commonality of process, namely, labor inputs of health practitioners or social workers with the requisite expertise. Many of the industries in the sector are defined based on the educational degree held by the practitioners included in the industry. Excluded from this sector are yoga and aerobics instruction in Subsector 611, Educational Services, physical fitness facilities in Subsector 713, Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries, and personal fitness training services and non-medical diet and weight reducing centers in Subsector 812, Personal and Laundry Services. Although these can be viewed as health services, these services are not typically delivered by health practitioners.
Employment is national May 2024 OEWS. "Typical pay" is Singulariki's own figure — the employment-weighted average of each occupation's national median wage — a rough center of the industry, not an official BLS number.
How exposed this industry is to AI
Weighting every occupation in this industry by its employment and its unified AI-exposure index (the OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" human-rated task overlap folded with the Felten/Raj/Seamans AIOE index), this industry sits in the Moderate band — 51st percentile across all industries.
Exposure measures how much of the work overlaps with what today's AI can do, not a prediction of automation; high-exposure industries are where AI is most likely to reshape tasks. Employment-weighted across 454 occupations that carry an exposure score. Compare every industry on the AI exposure hub.
How AI is actually used in this industry
Among measured Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations mapped to O*NET task statements (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these patterns are most associated with the occupations in this industry, weighted by its employment mix. They are shares of observed AI conversations — not of worker time, revenue, or what could be automated — and reflect one AI assistant's consumer sample, not all AI.
| Signal coverage | 55.6% of employment · 289/492 occupations have AEI task data |
| Augmentation vs. automation | 50.3% working with AI · 32.2% handed to AI |
| Most common pattern | Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.5 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
Tasks driving the signal
The task families that account for the most AI activity across this industry's occupations (employment × observed usage), each attributed to the occupation it comes from.
| Task | Occupation | How | Share of signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troubleshoot problems involving office equipment, such as computer hardware and software. | Office Clerks, General | Feedback loop | 15.7% |
| Direct or provide home health services. | Registered Nurses | Learning | 12.6% |
| Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans. | Registered Nurses | Learning | 8.7% |
| Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions. | Registered Nurses | Directive | 3.5% |
| Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing. | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | Directive | 2.4% |
| Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet. | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | Directive | 2.2% |
| Participate in the work of subordinates to facilitate productivity or to overcome difficult aspects of work. | First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | Iteration | 2.2% |
| Prepare reports to document patients' care activities. | Registered Nurses | Directive | 2.1% |
| Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions. | Registered Nurses | Learning | 1.8% |
| Develop or maintain internal or external company Web sites. | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | Directive | 1.6% |
| Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions. | Registered Nurses | Learning | 1.6% |
| Interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests such as electrocardiograms (EKGs) and renal functioning tests. | Registered Nurses | Learning | 1.4% |
Occupations behind the signal
The occupations whose AI-touched tasks contribute most to this industry's signal, by employment here.
| Occupation | Workers | Share | How they use AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 2,790,380 | 12.1% | Learning |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 753,180 | 3.3% | Iteration |
| Medical Assistants | 750,930 | 3.3% | Learning |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 543,940 | 2.4% | Directive |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | 449,730 | 1.9% | Directive |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 445,150 | 1.9% | Iteration |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 332,580 | 1.4% | Directive |
| Childcare Workers | 315,010 | 1.4% | Directive |
| Office Clerks, General | 289,710 | 1.3% | Feedback loop |
| Nurse Practitioners | 281,110 | 1.2% | Learning |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | 277,510 | 1.2% | Learning |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 250,320 | 1.1% | Iteration |
This rollup is only as complete as the occupation-task matches available for the industry; the coverage figure above is shown so sparse industries do not look falsely precise. AI exposure is not the same as replacement.
Skill & tool metabolism
What this industry's work actually runs on. Each figure is the share of the industry's workers in occupations that significantly rely on a skill, knowledge area, or ability (O*NET importance ≥ 3 of 5), or that use a tool category — its employment reach. This is a measure of how widespread a requirement is across the workforce, not how intensively any one worker uses it. Shares are independent and need not add to 100%.
Based on 76.8% of this industry's employment that maps to a detailed occupation with an O*NET skill profile.
Skills
| Skill | Employment reach | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 75.6% | 17,470,840 |
| Speaking | 74.8% | 17,288,720 |
| Critical Thinking | 72.9% | 16,845,690 |
| Reading Comprehension | 72.2% | 16,675,990 |
| Service Orientation | 71.6% | 16,543,470 |
| Monitoring | 69.8% | 16,117,820 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 69.5% | 16,050,390 |
| Coordination | 68.9% | 15,921,310 |
| Writing | 64.1% | 14,808,890 |
| Time Management | 63.3% | 14,632,800 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 57.2% | 13,211,270 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 54.7% | 12,646,570 |
Knowledge areas
| Knowledge area | Employment reach | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 74.7% | 17,259,760 |
| English Language | 74.5% | 17,200,710 |
| Education and Training | 52.3% | 12,079,570 |
| Administration and Management | 48.2% | 11,140,700 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 47.5% | 10,967,540 |
| Psychology | 40.7% | 9,404,870 |
| Public Safety and Security | 37.6% | 8,692,890 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 37.5% | 8,674,030 |
| Computers and Electronics | 36.3% | 8,388,960 |
| Administrative | 34.7% | 8,015,180 |
| Mathematics | 34.0% | 7,858,460 |
| Biology | 23.1% | 5,331,230 |
Abilities
| Abilitie | Employment reach | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 76.8% | 17,745,920 |
| Oral Comprehension | 76.7% | 17,710,260 |
| Oral Expression | 76.4% | 17,651,110 |
| Speech Recognition | 74.6% | 17,236,720 |
| Speech Clarity | 74.1% | 17,128,660 |
| Written Comprehension | 73.0% | 16,863,460 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 72.1% | 16,662,690 |
| Written Expression | 71.4% | 16,487,890 |
| Information Ordering | 71.3% | 16,472,490 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 70.8% | 16,353,280 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 70.8% | 16,355,590 |
| Category Flexibility | 66.0% | 15,255,960 |
Tool categories
| Tool category | Employment reach | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet software | 77.0% | 17,797,680 |
| Office suite software | 75.4% | 17,415,080 |
| Electronic mail software | 73.1% | 16,894,220 |
| Word processing software | 71.9% | 16,610,680 |
| Medical software | 65.2% | 15,073,380 |
| Internet browser software | 62.7% | 14,482,750 |
| Data base user interface and query software | 60.4% | 13,964,960 |
| Presentation software | 53.1% | 12,269,530 |
| Calendar and scheduling software | 43.4% | 10,029,620 |
| Operating system software | 42.8% | 9,877,600 |
| Document management software | 34.2% | 7,895,320 |
| Video conferencing software | 33.9% | 7,833,060 |
| Cloud-based data access and sharing software | 31.9% | 7,369,320 |
| Project management software | 31.7% | 7,314,170 |
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software | 31.5% | 7,272,840 |
Reach = share of industry employment in occupations where the requirement is significant; it is not a per-worker usage or proficiency measure. Skill, knowledge, and ability importance is from O*NET; tool use is reported presence of a technology category.
Largest occupations
The occupations that employ the most people in this industry, with their share of the industry's workforce and national median pay for the occupation (not industry-specific pay).
Showing the top 40 of 507 occupations by employment.
Most distinctive occupations
The occupations most unusually concentrated in this industry compared with the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more common an occupation is here versus its economy-wide share (a value of 5 means five times as concentrated).
For a sector this broad, the location quotient has a ceiling set by the sector's own share of national employment, so the top values tend to cluster near that limit.
| Occupation | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Orthodontists | 6.65× | 5,130 |
| Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | 6.62× | 5,290 |
| Pediatric Surgeons | 6.61× | 1,040 |
| Prosthodontists | 6.59× | 750 |
| Chiropractors | 6.58× | 37,120 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 6.54× | 13,870 |
| Dentists, General | 6.52× | 110,890 |
| Anesthesiologists | 6.51× | 40,890 |
| Cardiologists | 6.51× | 17,580 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | 6.51× | 42,910 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 6.5× | 11,800 |
| Surgical Assistants | 6.5× | 22,280 |
| Dental Hygienists | 6.49× | 213,180 |
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 6.49× | 59,530 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 6.49× | 105,060 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 6.48× | 3,874,910 |
| Nurse Midwives | 6.47× | 8,030 |
| Pediatricians, General | 6.47× | 41,640 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 6.47× | 83,870 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 6.43× | 19,180 |
Sub-industries
More detailed industries within Health Care and Social Assistance.
- Ambulance Services
- Offices of Chiropractors
- Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)
- Offices of Optometrists
- Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers
- Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities
- Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
The Health Care and Social Assistance workforce sits at the 51st percentile of AI task overlap — 23,103,420 U.S. workers
- Weighting every occupation by its real share of Health Care and Social Assistance employment, the industry's workforce ranks in the 51st percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap — overlap with what AI can attempt, not a measure of jobs at risk.Eloundou et al. + Felten AIOE, weighted by BLS OEWS
- The industry employs about 23,103,420 U.S. workers across 507 occupations.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
- Employment-weighted typical annual pay is about $62,154.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
- Of AI use observed across this industry's occupations, 50% looks like augmentation rather than automation — from a Claude.ai sample, not a census.Anthropic Economic Index
The Health Care and Social Assistance workforce sits at the 51st percentile of AI task overlap — 23,103,420 U.S. workers • Weighting every occupation by its real share of Health Care and Social Assistance employment, the industry's workforce ranks in the 51st percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap — overlap with what AI can attempt, not a measure of jobs at risk. (Eloundou et al. + Felten AIOE, weighted by BLS OEWS) • The industry employs about 23,103,420 U.S. workers across 507 occupations. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Employment-weighted typical annual pay is about $62,154. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of AI use observed across this industry's occupations, 50% looks like augmentation rather than automation — from a Claude.ai sample, not a census. (Anthropic Economic Index) Source: Singulariki — "Health Care and Social Assistance". https://singulariki.com/industries/62 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Census NAICS 2022 U.S. Census Bureau
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
Data compiled June 3, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Health Care and Social Assistance." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; Census NAICS 2022; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/industries/62
Singulariki. (2026). Health Care and Social Assistance. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/industries/62
@misc{singulariki-62,
title = {Health Care and Social Assistance},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; Census NAICS 2022; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/industries/62}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.