Residential support worker

245.6K UK workers · typical pay £26,000 · entry route Entry Level / GCSEs grades 1-3. Projected growth of +7% to 2035.

How AI is actually used here · measured · Anthropic Economic Index

Thin signal. Only 24% of the Claude usage mapped to this job is actual work. The rest is personal or study use of the same skills. Read the figures below as indicative, not precise.

36%

Augmentation

AI mostly does the task

2.9×

Time compression

~2.4h → ~48min

2.74/5

AI autonomy

how hands-off it runs

64%

Automation

of measured usage

How the collaboration splits · the six measured modes

directive 29.9%unclassified 23%feedback loop 21.3%task iteration 14.2%learning 8.9%validation 2.6%

What people make with AI here

explanation / answer15%advice / recommendation12%document / report10%

Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →

Facts · ONS + NCS

UK workers (2024)

245.6K

Median pay

£26.0K

Our scored call · a labelled hypothesis, not a measurement

AI exposure

2 / 10

Elasticity

6.5 / 10

2035 outlook

+7%

Exposure · 2/10

Why AI can do the work

The core of this role involves physical presence, emotional support, and hands-on care for vulnerable individuals, which AI cannot replicate. While AI may assist with administrative tasks like care plan documentation and record-keeping, the fundamental requirements of empathy, physical assistance, and real-time crisis management keep exposure very low.

Elasticity · 6.5/10

Gated by population

Whether demand expands when it gets cheaper

Lower costs would unlock significant latent demand for higher staff-to-resident ratios and more intensive, personalized 24/7 support that is currently unaffordable.

Trajectory to 2035