AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-4041.00
Will AI replace Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?
Hazardous Materials Removal Workers: AI can already handle 1 of 21 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 21 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Hazardous Materials Removal 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 specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Drive trucks or other heavy equipment to convey contaminated waste to designated sea or ground locations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Package, store, or move irradiated fuel elements in the underwater storage basins of nuclear reactor plants, using machines or equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate cranes to move or load baskets, casks, or canisters. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Identify or separate waste products or materials for recycling or reuse. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Upload baskets of irradiated elements onto machines that insert fuel elements into canisters and secure lids. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Process e-waste, such as computer components containing lead or mercury. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mix or pour concrete into forms to encase waste material for disposal. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply bioremediation techniques to hazardous wastes to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down toxic substances. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 21 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 21 of 21. 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 14% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 14% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 86% 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
- 51,710
- Median annual wage
- $49,450
- Middle half of earners
- $44,720 to $61,530
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.0%
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.
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure44
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure15
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health 58% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure63
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians 57% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure38
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 57% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure60
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Hazardous Materials Removal Workers and AI
Will AI replace Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?
AI already handles 1 of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 21 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 +1.0% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Hazardous Materials Removal Workers?
21 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 21 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 21 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Hazardous Materials Removal Workers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures. 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 14% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 86% 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 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers, and what do they earn?
51,710 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $49,450 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.0% 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: Hazardous Materials Removal 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/hazardous-materials-removal-workers
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