AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-4042.00

Will AI replace Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health?

Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health: AI can already handle 17 of 25 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 25 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health, from most to least exposed. 17 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Calculate amount of pollutant in samples or compute air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes, using chemical and mathematical formulas. 80 Estimated Standard 3.4
Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Record test data and prepare reports, summaries, or charts that interpret test results. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Prepare samples or photomicrographs for testing and analysis. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Discuss test results and analyses with customers. 75 Estimated Standard 3.8
Initiate procedures to close down or fine establishments violating environmental or health regulations. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Weigh, analyze, or measure collected sample particles, such as lead, coal dust, or rock, to determine concentration of pollutants. 75 Estimated Standard 3.7
Calibrate microscopes or test instruments. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Provide information or technical or program assistance to government representatives, employers, or the general public on the issues of public health, environmental protection, or workplace safety. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Monitor emission control devices to ensure they are operating properly and comply with state and federal regulations. 75 Estimated Standard 3.5
Perform statistical analysis of environmental data. 75 Estimated Standard 3.3
Determine amounts and kinds of chemicals to use in destroying harmful organisms or removing impurities from purification systems. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.1
Examine and analyze material for presence and concentration of contaminants, such as asbestos, using variety of microscopes. 75 Estimated Standard 3.0
Direct activities of workers in laboratory. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Make recommendations to control or eliminate unsafe conditions at workplaces or public facilities. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.4
Analyze potential environmental impacts of production process changes, and recommend steps to mitigate negative impacts. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Set up equipment or stations to monitor and collect pollutants from sites, such as smoke stacks, manufacturing plants, or mechanical equipment. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Develop or implement programs for monitoring of environmental pollution or radiation. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.5
Develop testing procedures. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.3
Develop or implement site recycling or hazardous waste stream programs. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.1
Distribute permits, closure plans, or cleanup plans. 50 Estimated Efficient 2.9
Inspect workplaces to ensure the absence of health and safety hazards, such as high noise levels, radiation, or potential lighting hazards. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Maintain files, such as hazardous waste databases, chemical usage data, personnel exposure information, or diagrams showing equipment locations. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Inspect sanitary conditions at public facilities. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.5

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 25 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 25 of 25. 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
34,670
Median annual wage
$55,090
Middle half of earners
$45,820 to $69,910
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+4.0%

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 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health and AI

Will AI replace Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health?

AI already handles 17 of the 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 63 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 +4.0% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health?

63 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. 0 of the 25 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 25 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Calculate amount of pollutant in samples or compute air pollution or gas flow in industrial processes, using chemical and mathematical formulas; Collect samples of gases, soils, water, industrial wastewater, or asbestos products to conduct tests on pollutant levels or identify sources of pollution; Investigate hazardous conditions or spills or outbreaks of disease or food poisoning, collecting samples for analysis. They are three of the 17 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 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health, and what do they earn?

34,670 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $55,090 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.0% 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: Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health. 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/environmental-science-and-protection-technicians-including-health

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