Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Architecture and Engineering Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 17-3025.00
Apply theory and principles of environmental engineering to modify, test, and operate equipment and devices used in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental problems, including waste treatment and site remediation, under the direction of engineering staff or scientists. May assist in the development of environmental remediation devices.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
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
0.103
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
0.26
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
Exposed tasks only26 rated tasks · 19 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (73.1%)
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
- 3 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Tasks of O*NET-SOC 2010 occupation 17-3025.00 Environmental Engineering Technicians, linked to this occupation by the O*NET-SOC 2010 to 2019 crosswalk
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Record laboratory or field data, including numerical data, test results, photographs, or summaries of visual observations.17-3025.00 | 0.007055.6 | —0 |
Review technical documents to ensure completeness and conformance to requirements.17-3025.00 | 0.003628.6 | 0.003943.7 |
Review work plans to schedule activities.17-3025.00 | 0.002015.9 | —0 |
Obtain product information, identify vendors or suppliers, or order materials or equipment to maintain inventory. | —0 | 0.003336.8 |
Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater. | —0 | 0.001719.5 |
| Not observed on any surface — 21 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | ||
Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment. | —0 | —0 |
Maintain project logbook records or computer program files. | —0 | —0 |
Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings. | —0 | —0 |
Produce environmental assessment reports, tabulating data and preparing charts, graphs, or sketches. | —0 | —0 |
Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies. | —0 | —0 |
Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water. | —0 | —0 |
Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing. | —0 | —0 |
Prepare permit applications or review compliance with environmental permits. | —0 | —0 |
Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water. | —0 | —0 |
Arrange for the disposal of lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials. | —0 | —0 |
Provide technical engineering support in the planning of projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and policies. | —0 | —0 |
Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions. | —0 | —0 |
Oversee support staff. | —0 | —0 |
Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills. | —0 | —0 |
Work with customers to assess the environmental impact of proposed construction or to develop pollution prevention programs. | —0 | —0 |
Perform statistical analysis and correction of air or water pollution data submitted by industry or other agencies. | —0 | —0 |
Develop work plans, including writing specifications or establishing material, manpower, or facilities needs. | —0 | —0 |
Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil. | —0 | —0 |
Create models to demonstrate or predict the process by which pollutants move through or impact an environment. | —0 | —0 |
Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems. | —0 | —0 |
Model biological, chemical, or physical treatment processes to remove or degrade pollutants. | —0 | —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 |
|---|---|
Maintain project logbook records or computer program files.O*NET Task ID 3641 | 1.0 |
Review technical documents to ensure completeness and conformance to requirements.O*NET Task ID 3644 | 1.0 |
Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings.O*NET Task ID 3643 | 0.5 |
Review work plans to schedule activities.O*NET Task ID 3646 | 0.5 |
Obtain product information, identify vendors or suppliers, or order materials or equipment to maintain inventory.O*NET Task ID 3647 | 0.5 |
Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater.O*NET Task ID 3649 | 0.5 |
Provide technical engineering support in the planning of projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and policies.O*NET Task ID 3650 | 0.5 |
Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions.O*NET Task ID 3651 | 0.5 |
Produce environmental assessment reports, tabulating data and preparing charts, graphs, or sketches.O*NET Task ID 3654 | 0.5 |
Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies.O*NET Task ID 3655 | 0.5 |
Work with customers to assess the environmental impact of proposed construction or to develop pollution prevention programs.O*NET Task ID 3656 | 0.5 |
Perform statistical analysis and correction of air or water pollution data submitted by industry or other agencies.O*NET Task ID 3657 | 0.5 |
Develop work plans, including writing specifications or establishing material, manpower, or facilities needs.O*NET Task ID 3658 | 0.5 |
Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil.O*NET Task ID 19686 | 0.5 |
Create models to demonstrate or predict the process by which pollutants move through or impact an environment.O*NET Task ID 19687 | 0.5 |
Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems.O*NET Task ID 19689 | 0.5 |
Model biological, chemical, or physical treatment processes to remove or degrade pollutants.O*NET Task ID 19690 | 0.5 |
Prepare permit applications or review compliance with environmental permits.O*NET Task ID 20033 | 0.5 |
Record laboratory or field data, including numerical data, test results, photographs, or summaries of visual observations.O*NET Task ID 20513 | 0.5 |
Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment.O*NET Task ID 3640 | 0.0 |
Arrange for the disposal of lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials.O*NET Task ID 3648 | 0.0 |
Oversee support staff.O*NET Task ID 3652 | 0.0 |
Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills.O*NET Task ID 3653 | 0.0 |
Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water.O*NET Task ID 19688 | 0.0 |
Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing.O*NET Task ID 19691 | 0.0 |
Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water.O*NET Task ID 20514 | 0.0 |
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 (23)
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 |
|---|---|
| Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment. | Core |
| Maintain project logbook records or computer program files. | Core |
| Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings. | Core |
| Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater. | Core |
| Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills. | Core |
| Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water. | Core |
| Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing. | Core |
| Record laboratory or field data, including numerical data, test results, photographs, or summaries of visual observations. | Core |
| Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water. | Core |
| Review technical documents to ensure completeness and conformance to requirements. | Supplemental |
| Review work plans to schedule activities. | Supplemental |
| Obtain product information, identify vendors or suppliers, or order materials or equipment to maintain inventory. | Supplemental |
| Arrange for the disposal of lead, asbestos, or other hazardous materials. | Supplemental |
| Provide technical engineering support in the planning of projects, such as wastewater treatment plants, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and policies. | Supplemental |
| Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions. | Supplemental |
| Oversee support staff. | Supplemental |
| Produce environmental assessment reports, tabulating data and preparing charts, graphs, or sketches. | Supplemental |
| Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies. | Supplemental |
| Work with customers to assess the environmental impact of proposed construction or to develop pollution prevention programs. | Supplemental |
| Develop work plans, including writing specifications or establishing material, manpower, or facilities needs. | Supplemental |
| Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil. | Supplemental |
| Evaluate and select technologies to clean up polluted sites, restore polluted air, water, or soil, or rehabilitate degraded ecosystems. | Supplemental |
| Prepare permit applications or review compliance with environmental permits. | Supplemental |
0.44/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Receive, set up, test, or decontaminate equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform environmental quality work in field or office settings. | E2 structured facilities |
| Maintain process parameters and evaluate process anomalies. | E2 structured facilities |
| Decontaminate or test field equipment used to clean or test pollutants from soil, air, or water. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare and package environmental samples for shipping or testing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Collect and analyze pollution samples, such as air or ground water. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Inspect facilities to monitor compliance with regulations governing substances, such as asbestos, lead, or wastewater. | E0 none |
| Improve chemical processes to reduce toxic emissions. | E0 none |
| Assist in the cleanup of hazardous material spills. | E0 none |
| Assess the ability of environments to naturally remove or reduce conventional or emerging contaminants from air, water, or soil. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 13K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 13K
- Change (2025–35)
- +3.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $59,920
- Typical education needed for entry
- Associate'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23741 | 대기 환경 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23742 | 수질 환경 시험원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23745 | 폐기물 처리 시험원 | Overlapping, not the same | 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 3119Physical and Engineering Science Technicians Not Elsewhere Classified
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
This unit group covers physical and engineering science technicians not classified elsewhere in Minor Group 311: Physical and Engineering Science Technicians. For instance, the unit group includes those who assist scientists and engineers engaged in developing procedures or conducting research on safety, biomedical, environmental or industrial and production engineering.
Tasks
- In such cases tasks would include -
- (a) collecting data and providing technical assistance regarding: efficient, safe and economic utilization of personnel, material and equipment; methods of work and sequence of operations and supervision of their implementation; and efficient layout of plant or establishment;
- (b) aiding in the identification of potential hazards and introducing safety procedures and devices;
- (c) modifying and testing equipment and devices used in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental pollution, site remediation and land reclamation;
- (d) assisting in the development of environmental pollution remediation devices under the direction of an engineer;
- (e) assisting engineers in testing and designing robotics equipment.
Example occupations
Engineering technician (production) · Fire investigator · Forensic science technician · Quantity surveying technician · Robotics technician · Time and motion study technician
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.
- water conservation technicianESCO 7126.13This occupation is broader
Water conservation technicians install systems to recover, filter, store and distribute water from different sources such as rainwater and domestic greywater.
- environmental engineerESCO 2143.1Overlapping, not the same
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 technicianESCO 3111.2Overlapping, not the same
Environmental technicians investigate sources of pollution and aid in the development of pollution prevention and environment protection plans. They take samples of soil, water or other materials and perform tests to analyse the pollution level and identify its source.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| I1514 | Technicien / Technicienne en dépollution | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| H1301 | Inspecteur / Inspectrice de conformité | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H1303 | Technicien / Technicienne en Hygiène, Sécurité, Environnement industriel (HSE) | Related, not a matchprovisional |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3129 | Otros técnicos de las ciencias físicas, químicas, medioambientales y de las ingenierías | This occupation is narrower |
| 3326 | Técnicos en prevención de riesgos laborales y salud 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 42203 | Berufe in der Umweltschutztechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 42202 | Berufe in der Umweltschutztechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 34303 | Berufe in der Ver- und Entsorgung (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 42283 | Berufe in der Umweltschutztechnik (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
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 narrower |
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