Environmental Engineers
Architecture and Engineering Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 17-2081.00
Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Very high· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.036
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.38
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 24 hidden tasks28 rated tasks · 27 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (96.4%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.17-2081.00 | 0.010768.2 | 0.0057100.0 |
Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.17-2081.00 | 0.001811.5 | —0 |
Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues.17-2081.00 | 0.001610.2 | —0 |
Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues.17-2081.00 | 0.001610.2 | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.O*NET Task ID 1372 | 1.0 |
Prepare hazardous waste manifests or land disposal restriction notifications.O*NET Task ID 1383 | 1.0 |
Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues.O*NET Task ID 19626 | 1.0 |
Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.O*NET Task ID 20197 | 1.0 |
Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.O*NET Task ID 1366 | 0.5 |
Obtain, update, or maintain plans, permits, or standard operating procedures.O*NET Task ID 1368 | 0.5 |
Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.O*NET Task ID 1369 | 0.5 |
Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.O*NET Task ID 1370 | 0.5 |
Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations.O*NET Task ID 1371 | 0.5 |
Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.O*NET Task ID 1373 | 0.5 |
Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.O*NET Task ID 1374 | 0.5 |
Advise industries or government agencies about environmental policies and standards.O*NET Task ID 1375 | 0.5 |
Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues.O*NET Task ID 1376 | 0.5 |
Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.O*NET Task ID 1377 | 0.5 |
Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration.O*NET Task ID 1378 | 0.5 |
Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste.O*NET Task ID 1379 | 0.5 |
Coordinate or manage environmental protection programs or projects, assigning or evaluating work.O*NET Task ID 1380 | 0.5 |
Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to solid or hazardous waste program requirements.O*NET Task ID 1381 | 0.5 |
Develop or present environmental compliance training or orientation sessions.O*NET Task ID 1385 | 0.5 |
Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.O*NET Task ID 1387 | 0.5 |
Request bids from suppliers or consultants.O*NET Task ID 1389 | 0.5 |
Provide environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, or planning or reviewing database development.O*NET Task ID 1390 | 0.5 |
Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.O*NET Task ID 15210 | 0.5 |
Direct installation or operation of environmental monitoring devices or supervise related data collection programs.O*NET Task ID 19624 | 0.5 |
Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects.O*NET Task ID 19625 | 0.5 |
Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.O*NET Task ID 20195 | 0.5 |
Provide assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols, or sampling as part of a team conducting multimedia inspections at complex facilities.O*NET Task ID 20196 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (29)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports. | Core |
| Obtain, update, or maintain plans, permits, or standard operating procedures. | Core |
| Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability. | Core |
| Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs. | Core |
| Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations. | Core |
| Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties. | Core |
| Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them. | Core |
| Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment. | Core |
| Advise industries or government agencies about environmental policies and standards. | Core |
| Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues. | Core |
| Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land. | Core |
| Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration. | Core |
| Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste. | Core |
| Coordinate or manage environmental protection programs or projects, assigning or evaluating work. | Core |
| Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to solid or hazardous waste program requirements. | Core |
| Prepare hazardous waste manifests or land disposal restriction notifications. | Core |
| Develop or present environmental compliance training or orientation sessions. | Core |
| Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources. | Core |
| Request bids from suppliers or consultants. | Core |
| Provide environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, or planning or reviewing database development. | Core |
| Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality. | Core |
| Direct installation or operation of environmental monitoring devices or supervise related data collection programs. | Core |
| Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects. | Core |
| Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues. | Core |
| Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems. | Core |
| Provide assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols, or sampling as part of a team conducting multimedia inspections at complex facilities. | Core |
| Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures. | Core |
| Attend professional conferences to share information. | Core |
| Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials. | Supplemental |
0.00/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations. | E0 none |
| Provide assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols, or sampling as part of a team conducting multimedia inspections at complex facilities. | E0 none |
| Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 39K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 42K
- Change (2025–35)
- +6.3%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $107,110
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23711 | 대기 환경 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23712 | 수질 환경 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23715 | 폐기물 처리 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23714 | 소음 진동 기술자 및 연구원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 23716 | 환경 영향 평가원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2143Environmental Engineers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Environmental engineers conduct research, advise on, design and direct implementation of solutions to prevent, control or remedy negative impacts of human activity on the environment utilizing a variety of engineering disciplines. They conduct environmental assessments of construction and civil engineering projects and apply engineering principles to pollution control, recycling and waste disposal.
Tasks
- (a) conducting research, assessing and reporting on the environmental impact of existing and proposed construction, civil engineering and other activities;
- (b) inspecting industrial and municipal facilities and programmes to evaluate operational effectiveness and ensure compliance with environmental regulations;
- (c) designing and overseeing the development of systems, processes and equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality;
- (d) providing environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, and planning or reviewing database development;
- (e) obtaining, updating, and maintaining plans, permits, and standard operating procedures;
- (f) providing engineering and technical support for environmental remediation and litigation projects, including remediation system design and determination of regulatory applicability;
- (g) monitoring progress of environmental improvement programmes;
- (h) advising corporations and government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment;
- (i) collaborating with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers from other disciplines and specialists in law and business to address environmental problems.
Example occupations
Air pollution control engineer · Environmental analyst · Environmental engineer · Environmental remediation specialist · Waste water process engineer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- environmental engineerESCO 2143.1Same scope
Environmental engineers integrate environmental and sustainable measures in the development of projects of various natures. They seek to preserve natural resources and natural sites. They work together with engineers from other fields to envision all the implications that projects might have in order to design ways to conserve natural reserves, prevent pollution, and deploy sanitary measures.
- environmental mining engineerESCO 2143.1.1This occupation is broader
Environmental mining engineers oversee the environmental performance of mining operations. They develop and implement environmental systems and strategies to minimise environmental impacts.
- environmental expertESCO 2143.2Overlapping, not the same
Environmental experts search for technological solutions to tackle environmental problems. They detect and analyse environmental issues and develop new technological production processes to counter these problematic issues. They research the effect of their technological innovations and present their findings in scientific reports.
- environmental geologistESCO 2114.1.1Overlapping, not the same
Environmental geologists study how mineral operations may impact the composition and physical characteristics of the earth and its resources. They provide advice on issues such as land reclamation and environmental pollution.
- environmental protection managerESCO 1349.13Overlapping, not the same
Environmental protection managers provide advice on the development of environmental policies to governmental and official institutions. They analyse possible threats for the well being of the people and the environment in a region and manage campaigns aimed at tackling problems such as waste collection, landfills, and preservation of green areas.
- environmental scientistESCO 2133.7Overlapping, not the same
Environmental scientists identify problems and find solutions in order to minimize environmental hazards by performing analysis on samples such as air, water or soil. They advise on or develop environmental policies and aim to improve water supplies preservation and manage waste disposal sites. Environmental scientists perform environmental risk assessments and analyse the environmental impact of new solutions, construction sites or environmental changes ensuring the environmental regulations are followed.
- pipeline environmental project managerESCO 2133.10Overlapping, not the same
Pipeline environmental project managers ensure the accomplishment of environmental preservation within pipeline transport projects. They, together with a group of managers and specialists, analyse the sites and routes of pipelines in order to advice on environmental issues to be considered and addressed.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| A1324 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure biogaz | This occupation is broader |
| H1534 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure d'analyse industrielle | This occupation is broader |
| K2320 | Chargé / Chargée du traitement des déchets | This occupation is broader |
| H1302 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure Hygiène, Sécurité et Environnement en industrie (HSE) | Overlapping, not the same |
| F1116 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure démantèlement et assainissement | Related, not a match |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2437 | Ingenieros ambientales | Same scope |
| 2426 | Profesionales de la protección ambiental | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 42204 | Berufe in der Umweltschutztechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 34334 | Berufe in der Abfallwirtschaft - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | その他の技術者 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 092 | 土木技術者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources