AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 17-2199.09

Will AI replace Nanosystems Engineers?

Nanosystems Engineers: AI can already handle 13 of 25 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 25 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Nanosystems Engineers, from most to least exposed. 13 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Provide scientific or technical guidance or expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others, using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems. 82 Observed Standard 4.3
Prepare reports, deliver presentations, or participate in program review activities to communicate engineering results or recommendations. 65 Observed Efficient 3.8
Supervise technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production. 60 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Conduct research related to a range of nanotechnology topics, such as packaging, heat transfer, fluorescence detection, nanoparticle dispersion, hybrid systems, liquid systems, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, optoelectronics, or nanolithography. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Synthesize, process, or characterize nanomaterials, using advanced tools or techniques. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Write proposals to secure external funding or to partner with other companies. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Generate high-resolution images or measure force-distance curves, using techniques such as atomic force microscopy. 60 Estimated Standard 3.6
Provide technical guidance or support to customers on topics such as nanosystem start-up, maintenance, or use. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Engineer production processes for specific nanotechnology applications, such as electroplating, nanofabrication, or epoxy. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.5
Identify new applications for existing nanotechnologies. 60 Estimated Standard 3.4
Apply nanotechnology to improve the performance or reduce the environmental impact of energy products, such as fuel cells or solar cells. 60 Estimated Frontier 3.4
Prepare nanotechnology-related invention disclosures or patent applications. 60 Estimated Efficient 2.9
Reengineer nanomaterials to improve biodegradability. 60 Estimated Efficient 2.9
Design or conduct tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems. 50 Estimated Standard 3.8
Create designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems or atomic force microscopes. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Develop processes or identify equipment needed for pilot or commercial nanoscale scale production. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Design or engineer nanomaterials, nanodevices, nano-enabled products, or nanosystems, using three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) software. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.3
Design nano-enabled products with reduced toxicity, increased durability, or improved energy efficiency. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.3
Coordinate or supervise the work of suppliers or vendors in the designing, building, or testing of nanosystem devices, such as lenses or probes. 50 Estimated Standard 3.2
Design nano-based manufacturing processes to minimize water, chemical, or energy use, as well as to reduce waste production. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.1
Design nanosystems with components such as nanocatalysts or nanofiltration devices to clean specific pollutants from hazardous waste sites. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Integrate nanotechnology with antimicrobial properties into products, such as household or medical appliances, to reduce the development of bacteria or other microbes. 50 Estimated Frontier 2.8
Develop catalysis or other green chemistry methods to synthesize nanomaterials, such as nanotubes, nanocrystals, nanorods, or nanowires. 50 Estimated Frontier 2.7
Design nanoparticle catalysts to detect or remove chemical or other pollutants from water, soil, or air. 50 Estimated Frontier 2.6
Develop green building nanocoatings, such as self-cleaning, anti-stain, depolluting, anti-fogging, anti-icing, antimicrobial, moisture-resistant, or ultraviolet protectant coatings. 50 Estimated Frontier 2.4

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 2 of 25 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 23 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
154,070
Median annual wage
$122,930
Middle half of earners
$90,970 to $158,090
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+2.1%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.

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 Nanosystems Engineers and AI

Will AI replace Nanosystems Engineers?

AI already handles 13 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 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 +2.1% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Nanosystems Engineers?

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. 2 of the 25 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 23 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Nanosystems Engineers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Provide scientific or technical guidance or expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others, using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems; Prepare reports, deliver presentations, or participate in program review activities to communicate engineering results or recommendations; Supervise technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production. They are three of the 13 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 Nanosystems Engineers, and what do they earn?

154,070 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $122,930 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.1% 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: Nanosystems Engineers. 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/nanosystems-engineers

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