Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists
Architecture and Engineering Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 17-2112.01
Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of 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
0.037
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Group-level value
Scale, 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
0.37
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 18 hidden tasks26 rated tasks · 23 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (88.5%)
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 % |
|---|---|
Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats.17-2112.01 | 0.112154.9 |
Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.17-2112.01 | 0.031315.3 |
Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, velometers, sling psychrometers, or colormetric detection tubes.17-2112.01 | 0.022511.0 |
Apply modeling or quantitative analysis to forecast events, such as human decisions or behaviors, the structure or processes of organizations, or the attitudes or actions of human groups.17-2112.01 | 0.01376.7 |
Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics.17-2112.01 | 0.01266.2 |
Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.17-2112.01 | 0.00683.3 |
Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.17-2112.01 | 0.00271.3 |
Provide human factors technical expertise on topics such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.17-2112.01 | 0.00231.1 |
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 |
|---|---|
Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures.O*NET Task ID 16372 | 1.0 |
Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.O*NET Task ID 16378 | 1.0 |
Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation.O*NET Task ID 16381 | 1.0 |
Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics.O*NET Task ID 16382 | 1.0 |
Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury.O*NET Task ID 16374 | 0.5 |
Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.O*NET Task ID 16375 | 0.5 |
Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats.O*NET Task ID 16376 | 0.5 |
Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects.O*NET Task ID 16377 | 0.5 |
Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.O*NET Task ID 16379 | 0.5 |
Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time.O*NET Task ID 16380 | 0.5 |
Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement.O*NET Task ID 16383 | 0.5 |
Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.O*NET Task ID 16386 | 0.5 |
Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.O*NET Task ID 16387 | 0.5 |
Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols.O*NET Task ID 16388 | 0.5 |
Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models.O*NET Task ID 16389 | 0.5 |
Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.O*NET Task ID 16390 | 0.5 |
Conduct research to evaluate potential solutions related to changes in equipment design, procedures, manpower, personnel, or training.O*NET Task ID 16391 | 0.5 |
Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products.O*NET Task ID 16392 | 0.5 |
Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.O*NET Task ID 16393 | 0.5 |
Apply modeling or quantitative analysis to forecast events, such as human decisions or behaviors, the structure or processes of organizations, or the attitudes or actions of human groups.O*NET Task ID 16394 | 0.5 |
Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.O*NET Task ID 16395 | 0.5 |
Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.O*NET Task ID 16396 | 0.5 |
Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.O*NET Task ID 16397 | 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 (26)
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 |
|---|---|
| Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures. | Core |
| Train users in task techniques or ergonomic principles. | Core |
| Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury. | Core |
| Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems. | Core |
| Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats. | Core |
| Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects. | Core |
| Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces. | Core |
| Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions. | Core |
| Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time. | Core |
| Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation. | Core |
| Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics. | Core |
| Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement. | Core |
| Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes. | Core |
| Integrate human factors requirements into operational hardware. | Core |
| Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces. | Core |
| Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards. | Core |
| Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols. | Core |
| Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models. | Core |
| Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems. | Core |
| Conduct research to evaluate potential solutions related to changes in equipment design, procedures, manpower, personnel, or training. | Core |
| Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products. | Core |
| Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests. | Core |
| Apply modeling or quantitative analysis to forecast events, such as human decisions or behaviors, the structure or processes of organizations, or the attitudes or actions of human groups. | Core |
| Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation. | Core |
| Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers. | Core |
| Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance. | Core |
0.10/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement. | E0 none |
| Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
Values for the whole SOC 17-2112 group (Industrial engineers), not for this O*NET occupation alone.
- Employment, 2025
- 365K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 411K
- Change (2025–35)
- +12.4%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $102,440
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29554 | 사용자 경험 및 인터페이스 디자이너 | 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 2141Industrial and Production Engineers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Industrial and production engineers conduct research and design, organize and oversee the construction, operation and maintenance of industrial production processes and installations. They establish programmes for the coordination of manufacturing activities and assess cost effectiveness and safety.
Tasks
- (a) studying functional statements, organizational charts and project information to determine functions and responsibilities of workers and work units and to identify areas of duplication;
- (b) establishing work measurement programmes and analysing work samples to develop standards for labour utilization;
- (c) analysing workforce utilization, facility layout, operational data and production schedules and costs to determine optimum worker and equipment efficiencies;
- (d) developing specifications for manufacture, and determining materials, equipment, piping, material flows, capacities and layout of plant and systems;
- (e) organizing and managing project labour and the delivery of materials, plant and equipment;
- (f) establishing standards and policies for installation, modification, quality control, testing, inspection and maintenance according to engineering principles and safety regulations;
- (g) inspecting plant to improve and maintain performance;
- (h) directing the maintenance of plant buildings and equipment, and coordinating the requirements for new designs, surveys and maintenance schedules;
- (i) advising management on new production methods, techniques and equipment;
- (j) liaising with materials buying, storing and controlling departments to ensure a steady flow of supplies.
Example occupations
Industrial efficiency engineer · Industrial engineer · Industrial plant engineer · Production 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.
- ergonomistESCO 2263.3.1This occupation is narrower
Ergonomists analyse the design of equipment, furniture, and systems in order to improve it toward safer, healthier, and more efficient ones. They strive to improve the interaction of people with equipment and the environment.
- health and safety engineerESCO 2149.8Overlapping, not the same
Health and safety engineers design objects and programs by combining engineering principles and health and safety requirements. They envision the protection and well-being of the people using designed objects or performing work under designed health and safety programs. They assess facilities and the risks that they might pose (e.g. contaminant materials, ergonomics, handling of dangerous substances, etc.) in order to design and improve health and safety measures.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| M1412 | Ergonome | Same scope |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2158 | Profesionales de la salud y la higiene laboral y ambiental | Related, not a match |
| 2431 | Ingenieros industriales y de producción | Related, not a match |
| 2439 | Ingenieros no clasificados bajo otros epígrafes | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 27304 | Berufe in der technischen Produktionsplanung und -steuerung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 91384 | Berufe in Gesellschaftswissenschaften (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - 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 | Related, not a match |
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