AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-2031.00

Will AI replace Chemists?

Chemists: AI can already handle 10 of 12 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

Have a team in this role?

Get your free 10-role sample: send this role and up to nine others, and a founder sends a board-pack PDF within two business days.

Get your free 10-role sample Book a 15-minute call

Every task, scored

The 12 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Chemists, from most to least exposed. 10 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions. 85 Observed Frontier 3.9
Confer with scientists or engineers to conduct analyses of research projects, interpret test results, or develop nonstandard tests. 65 Estimated Standard 3.8
Evaluate laboratory safety procedures to ensure compliance with standards or to make improvements as needed. 65 Estimated Standard 3.7
Analyze organic or inorganic compounds to determine chemical or physical properties, composition, structure, relationships, or reactions, using chromatography, spectroscopy, or spectrophotometry techniques. 60 Estimated Standard 4.1
Induce changes in composition of substances by introducing heat, light, energy, or chemical catalysts for quantitative or qualitative analysis. 60 Estimated Standard 4.0
Conduct quality control tests. 60 Estimated Standard 3.9
Write technical papers or reports or prepare standards and specifications for processes, facilities, products, or tests. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.9
Prepare test solutions, compounds, or reagents for laboratory personnel to conduct tests. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Direct, coordinate, or advise personnel in test procedures for analyzing components or physical properties of materials. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Purchase laboratory supplies, such as chemicals, when supplies are low or near their expiration date. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.4
Develop, improve, or customize products, equipment, formulas, processes, or analytical methods. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Maintain laboratory instruments to ensure proper working order and troubleshoot malfunctions when needed. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.9

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 12 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 11 of 12. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
82,770
Median annual wage
$91,240
Middle half of earners
$69,460 to $125,550
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+4.9%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Chemists and AI

Will AI replace Chemists?

AI already handles 10 of the 12 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 59 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.9% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Chemists?

59 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 12 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 11 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Chemists tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Compile and analyze test information to determine process or equipment operating efficiency or to diagnose malfunctions; Confer with scientists or engineers to conduct analyses of research projects, interpret test results, or develop nonstandard tests; Evaluate laboratory safety procedures to ensure compliance with standards or to make improvements as needed. They are three of the 10 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Chemists, and what do they earn?

82,770 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $91,240 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.9% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Chemists. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/chemists

Have a team in this role?

Get your free 10-role sample. Send this role and up to nine others, with no employee data, and a founder sends a PDF in board-pack format within two business days.

Get your free 10-role sample Book a 15-minute call

A founder replies within one business day.