AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-1031.03
Will AI replace Park Naturalists?
Park Naturalists: AI can already handle 10 of 20 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 20 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Park Naturalists, from most to least exposed. 10 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Perform emergency duties to protect human life, government property, and natural features of park. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Research stories regarding the area's natural history or environment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform routine maintenance on park structures. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Survey park to determine forest conditions and distribution and abundance of fauna and flora. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Plan and organize public events at the park. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Develop environmental educational programs and curricula for schools. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Take photographs and motion pictures for use in lectures and publications and to develop displays. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Interview specialists in desired fields to obtain and develop data for park information programs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Prepare brochures and write newspaper articles. | Observed | Standard | |
| Train staff on park programs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Provide care for park program animals. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 20 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 19 of 20. 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 standard-tier model or lower covers 76% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 90% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 10% 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
- 25,950
- Median annual wage
- $73,010
- Middle half of earners
- $57,700 to $91,560
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +3.4%
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.
- Range Managers 59% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure42
- Recreation Workers 58% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure59
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists 58% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure49
- Forest and Conservation Technicians 58% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure39
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers 57% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure42
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Park Naturalists and AI
Will AI replace Park Naturalists?
AI already handles 10 of the 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 58 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 +3.4% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Park Naturalists?
58 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. 1 of the 20 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 19 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Park Naturalists tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files; Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas; Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers. They are three of the 10 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 76% 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 Park Naturalists, and what do they earn?
25,950 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $73,010 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.4% 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: Park Naturalists. 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/park-naturalists
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