AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-4071.00
Will AI replace Forest and Conservation Technicians?
Forest and Conservation Technicians: AI can already handle 1 of 20 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 20 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Forest and Conservation Technicians, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide forestry education and general information, advice, and recommendations to woodlot owners, community organizations, and the general public. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Perform reforestation or forest renewal, including nursery and silviculture operations, site preparation, seeding and tree planting programs, cone collection, and tree improvement. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Train and lead forest and conservation workers in seasonal activities, such as planting tree seedlings, putting out forest fires, and maintaining recreational facilities. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Plan and supervise construction of access routes and forest roads. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Select and mark trees for thinning or logging, drawing detailed plans that include access roads. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop and maintain computer databases. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Inspect trees and collect samples of plants, seeds, foliage, bark, and roots to locate insect and disease damage. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Conduct laboratory or field experiments with plants, animals, insects, diseases, and soils. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Manage forest protection activities, including fire control, fire crew training, and coordination of fire detection and public education programs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Thin and space trees and control weeds and undergrowth, using manual tools and chemicals, or supervise workers performing these tasks. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Keep records of the amount and condition of logs taken to mills. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor activities of logging companies and contractors. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Supervise forest nursery operations, timber harvesting, land use activities such as livestock grazing, and disease or insect control programs. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Patrol park or forest areas to protect resources and prevent damage. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide information about, and enforce, regulations, such as those concerning environmental protection, resource utilization, fire safety, and accident prevention. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Measure distances, clean sightlines, and record data to help survey crews. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Issue fire permits, timber permits, and other forest use licenses. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Map forest tract data using digital mapping systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Survey, measure, and map access roads and forest areas such as burns, cut-over areas, experimental plots, and timber sales sections. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide technical support to forestry research programs in areas such as tree improvement, seed orchard operations, insect and disease surveys, or experimental forestry and forest engineering research. | Estimated | Standard |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 20 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 20. 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
- 30,410
- Median annual wage
- $54,560
- Middle half of earners
- $47,360 to $68,600
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -3.2%
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.
- Forest and Conservation Workers 81% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure20
- Conservation Scientists 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure59
- Foresters 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure40
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure49
- Agricultural Technicians 68% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure65
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Forest and Conservation Technicians and AI
Will AI replace Forest and Conservation Technicians?
AI already handles 1 of the 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 39 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 -3.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Forest and Conservation Technicians?
39 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 20 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Forest and Conservation Technicians tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Provide forestry education and general information, advice, and recommendations to woodlot owners, community organizations, and the general public. It is the only task 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 Forest and Conservation Technicians, and what do they earn?
30,410 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $54,560 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -3.2% 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: Forest and Conservation Technicians. 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/forest-and-conservation-technicians
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