AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 45-4011.00
Will AI replace Forest and Conservation Workers?
Forest and Conservation Workers: AI can already handle 1 of 17 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Forest and Conservation Workers, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sort tree seedlings, discarding substandard seedlings, according to standard charts or verbal instructions. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Select tree seedlings, prepare the ground, or plant the trees in reforestation areas, using manual planting tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain tallies of trees examined and counted during tree marking or measuring efforts. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain campsites or recreational areas, replenishing firewood or other supplies and cleaning kitchens or restrooms. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Check equipment to ensure that it is operating properly. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Perform fire protection or suppression duties, such as constructing fire breaks or disposing of brush. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Confer with other workers to discuss issues, such as safety, cutting heights, or work needs. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Explain or enforce regulations regarding camping, vehicle use, fires, use of buildings, or sanitation. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Spray or inject vegetation with insecticides to kill insects or to protect against disease or with herbicides to reduce competing vegetation. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate skidders, bulldozers, or other prime movers to pull a variety of scarification or site preparation equipment over areas to be regenerated. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Thin or space trees, using power thinning saws. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Identify diseased or undesirable trees and remove them, using power saws or hand saws. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select or cut trees according to markings or sizes, types, or grades. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prune or shear tree tops or limbs to control growth, increase density, or improve shape. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Erect signs or fences, using posthole diggers, shovels, or other hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Provide assistance to forest survey crews by clearing site-lines, holding measuring tools, or setting stakes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Fight forest fires or perform prescribed burning tasks under the direction of fire suppression officers or forestry technicians. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 17 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 17 of 17. 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
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 20% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 20% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 80% is hands-on.
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
- 6,050
- Median annual wage
- $43,680
- Middle half of earners
- $37,440 to $45,760
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -4.7%
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 Technicians 81% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure39
- Foresters 74% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure40
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure49
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners 68% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure19
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure27
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Forest and Conservation Workers and AI
Will AI replace Forest and Conservation Workers?
AI already handles 1 of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 20 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 -4.7% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Forest and Conservation Workers?
20 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 17 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 17 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Forest and Conservation Workers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Sort tree seedlings, discarding substandard seedlings, according to standard charts or verbal instructions. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 20% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 80% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. 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 Workers, and what do they earn?
6,050 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $43,680 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -4.7% 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 Workers. 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-workers
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