AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-1032.00
Will AI replace Foresters?
Foresters: AI can already handle 3 of 25 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.
Every task, scored
The 25 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Foresters, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan and direct forest surveys and related studies and prepare reports and recommendations. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Monitor wildlife populations and assess the impacts of forest operations on population and habitats. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide advice and recommendations, as a consultant on forestry issues, to private woodlot owners, firefighters, government agencies or to companies. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan and implement projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop techniques for measuring and identifying trees. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan and supervise forestry projects, such as determining the type, number and placement of trees to be planted, managing tree nurseries, thinning forest and monitoring growth of new seedlings. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan and direct construction and maintenance of recreation facilities, fire towers, trails, roads and bridges, ensuring that they comply with guidelines and regulations set for forested public lands. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Develop new techniques for wood or residue use. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Procure timber from private landowners. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Subcontract with loggers or pulpwood cutters for tree removal and to aid in road layout. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Map forest area soils and vegetation to estimate the amount of standing timber and future value and growth. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor forest-cleared lands to ensure that they are reclaimed to their most suitable end use. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Supervise activities of other forestry workers. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Direct, and participate in, forest fire suppression. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Choose and prepare sites for new trees, using controlled burning, bulldozers, or herbicides to clear weeds, brush, and logging debris. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Analyze effect of forest conditions on tree growth rates and tree species prevalence and the yield, duration, seed production, growth viability, and germination of different species. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Study different tree species' classification, life history, light and soil requirements, adaptation to new environmental conditions and resistance to disease and insects. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct public educational programs on forest care and conservation. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Contact local forest owners and gain permission to take inventory of the type, amount, and location of all standing timber on the property. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries. | Estimated | Efficient |
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
- 10,430
- Median annual wage
- $76,400
- Middle half of earners
- $62,710 to $91,640
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.2%
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 74% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure20
- Forest and Conservation Technicians 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure39
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure49
- Fallers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure21
- Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure44
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Foresters and AI
Will AI replace Foresters?
AI already handles 3 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 40 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 +1.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Foresters?
40 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 Foresters tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Plan and direct forest surveys and related studies and prepare reports and recommendations; Monitor wildlife populations and assess the impacts of forest operations on population and habitats; Provide advice and recommendations, as a consultant on forestry issues, to private woodlot owners, firefighters, government agencies or to companies. They are the 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 Foresters, and what do they earn?
10,430 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $76,400 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.2% 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: Foresters. 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/foresters
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.
A founder replies within one business day.