AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 15-2021.00

Will AI replace Mathematicians?

Mathematicians: AI can already handle 5 of 12 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 12 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Mathematicians, from most to least exposed. 5 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Apply mathematical theories and techniques to the solution of practical problems in business, engineering, the sciences, or other fields. 99 Observed Standard 3.7
Mentor others on mathematical techniques. 93 Observed Efficient 4.3
Assemble sets of assumptions, and explore the consequences of each set. 79 Observed Efficient 4.0
Disseminate research by writing reports, publishing papers, or presenting at professional conferences. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Conduct research to extend mathematical knowledge in traditional areas, such as algebra, geometry, probability, and logic. 60 Estimated Standard 3.8
Develop new principles and new relationships between existing mathematical principles to advance mathematical science. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.1
Develop mathematical or statistical models of phenomena to be used for analysis or for computational simulation. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Design, analyze, and decipher encryption systems designed to transmit military, political, financial, or law-enforcement-related information in code. 50 Estimated Frontier 2.8
Perform computations and apply methods of numerical analysis to data. 40 Observed Efficient 3.9
Address the relationships of quantities, magnitudes, and forms through the use of numbers and symbols. 40 Observed Standard 3.9
Develop computational methods for solving problems that occur in areas of science and engineering or that come from applications in business or industry. 40 Observed Standard 3.2
Maintain knowledge in the field by reading professional journals, talking with other mathematicians, and attending professional conferences. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 6 of 12 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 6 of 12. 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
2,030
Median annual wage
$126,710
Middle half of earners
$88,570 to $157,020
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-0.7%

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.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Mathematicians and AI

Will AI replace Mathematicians?

AI already handles 5 of the 12 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 57 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 -0.7% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Mathematicians?

57 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. 6 of the 12 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 6 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Mathematicians tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Apply mathematical theories and techniques to the solution of practical problems in business, engineering, the sciences, or other fields; Mentor others on mathematical techniques; Assemble sets of assumptions, and explore the consequences of each set. They are three of the 5 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 Mathematicians, and what do they earn?

2,030 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $126,710 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -0.7% 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: Mathematicians. 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/mathematicians

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