Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 19-1042.00
Conduct research dealing with the understanding of human diseases and the improvement of human health. Engage in clinical investigation, research and development, or other related activities.
- 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
0.038
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
0.40
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 only14 rated tasks · 12 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (85.7%)
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 % |
|---|---|---|
Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.19-1042.00 | 0.009836.6 | —0 |
Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.19-1042.00 | 0.004416.4 | —0 |
Write and publish articles in scientific journals.19-1042.00 | 0.004215.7 | —0 |
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.19-1042.00 | 0.003211.9 | —0 |
Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.19-1042.00 | 0.002910.8 | —0 |
Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.19-1042.00 | 0.00238.6 | 0.0015100.0 |
| Not observed on any surface — 7 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. | ||
Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease. | —0 | —0 |
Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination. | —0 | —0 |
Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure. | —0 | —0 |
Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites. | —0 | —0 |
Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs. | —0 | —0 |
Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry. | —0 | —0 |
Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, and chromatography systems. | —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 |
|---|---|
Write and publish articles in scientific journals.O*NET Task ID 20201 | 1.0 |
Write applications for research grants.O*NET Task ID 23906 | 1.0 |
Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.O*NET Task ID 7513 | 0.5 |
Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels.O*NET Task ID 7515 | 0.5 |
Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.O*NET Task ID 7516 | 0.5 |
Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure.O*NET Task ID 7517 | 0.5 |
Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.O*NET Task ID 7518 | 0.5 |
Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites.O*NET Task ID 7519 | 0.5 |
Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs.O*NET Task ID 7520 | 0.5 |
Study animal and human health and physiological processes.O*NET Task ID 7521 | 0.5 |
Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry.O*NET Task ID 7522 | 0.5 |
Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public.O*NET Task ID 20200 | 0.5 |
Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination.O*NET Task ID 7514 | 0.0 |
Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems.O*NET Task ID 7523 | 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 (14)
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 |
|---|---|
| Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease. | Core |
| Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination. | Core |
| Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels. | Core |
| Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians. | Core |
| Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure. | Core |
| Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public. | Core |
| Write and publish articles in scientific journals. | Core |
| Write applications for research grants. | Core |
| Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds. | Supplemental |
| Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites. | Supplemental |
| Confer with health departments, industry personnel, physicians, and others to develop health safety standards and public health improvement programs. | Supplemental |
| Study animal and human health and physiological processes. | Supplemental |
| Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, and others regarding medical applications of physics, biology, and chemistry. | Supplemental |
| Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems. | Supplemental |
0.37/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Follow strict safety procedures when handling toxic materials to avoid contamination. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Evaluate effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, parasites, and microorganisms at various levels. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare and analyze organ, tissue, and cell samples to identify toxicity, bacteria, or microorganisms or to study cell structure. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings to the scientific audience and general public. | E0 none |
| Investigate cause, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission of diseases or parasites. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Study animal and human health and physiological processes. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Use equipment such as atomic absorption spectrometers, electron microscopes, flow cytometers, or chromatography systems. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 181K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 204K
- Change (2025–35)
- +12.6%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $103,410
- Typical education needed for entry
- Doctoral or professional 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21112 | 의학 연구원 | Same scope | confirmed |
| 21113 | 약학 연구원 | This occupation is broader | 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 2131Biologists, Botanists, Zoologists and Related Professionals
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals study living organisms and their interactions with each other and with the environment, and apply this knowledge to solve human health and environmental problems. They work in diverse fields such as botany, zoology, ecology, marine biology, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology, physiology, bacteriology and virology.
Tasks
- (a) undertaking research in laboratories and in the field to increase scientific knowledge of living organisms; to discover new information; to test hypotheses; to solve problems in areas such as the environment, agriculture and health; and to develop new products, processes and techniques for pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental use;
- (b) designing and conducting experiments and tests;
- (c) gathering human, animal, insect and plant specimens and data, and studying their origin, development, chemical and physical form, structure, composition, and life and reproductive processes;
- (d) examining living organisms using a variety of specialised equipment, instruments, technologies and techniques such as electron microscopes, telemetry, global positioning systems, biotechnology, satellite imaging, genetic engineering, digital imaging analysis, polymerase chain reaction and computer modelling;
- (e) identifying, classifying, recording and monitoring living organisms and maintaining databases;
- (f) writing scientific papers and reports detailing research and any new findings which are then made available to the scientific community in scientific journals or at conferences for scrutiny and further debate;
- (g) designing and carrying out environmental impact assessments to identify changes caused by natural or human factors;
- (h) providing advice to governments, organizations and businesses in areas such as conservation, management of natural resources, the effects of climate change and pollution.
Example occupations
Animal behaviourist · Bacteriologist · Biochemist · Biologist · Biomedical researcher · Biotechnologist · Botanist · Cell geneticist · Marine biologist · Microbiologist · Molecular biologist · Molecular geneticist · Pharmacologist · Zoologist
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.
- biomedical scientistESCO 3212.1This occupation is broader
Biomedical scientists perform all laboratory methods required as part of medical examination, treatment and research activities, particularly clinical-chemical, haematological, immuno-haematological, histological, cytological, microbiological, parasitological, mycological, serological and radiological tests. They perform analytical sample testing and report the results to the medical staff for further diagnosis. Biomedical Scientists may apply these methods in particular in the infection, blood or cellular sciences.
- biomedical scientist advancedESCO 2131.4.3This occupation is broader
Biomedical scientists advanced undertake advanced translational research in the biomedical science field and perform as educators of their professions or as other professionals.
- specialist biomedical scientistESCO 2131.4.11This occupation is broader
Specialist biomedical scientists lead a department or specialist area, working as a diagnostic partner with a clinical team (investigating and diagnosing patient illnesses like diabetes, haematological disorders, coagulation, molecular biology or genomics) or undertaking clinical research projects.
- toxicologistESCO 2131.4.12This occupation is broader
Toxicologists study the effects that chemical substances or biological and physical agents have in living organisms, more specifically, on the environment and on the animal and human health. They determine doses of the exposure to substances for arising toxic effects in environments, people, and living organisms, and also perform experiments on animals and cell cultures.
- immunologistESCO 2131.6Overlapping, not the same
Immunologists research the immune system of living organisms (e.g. human body) and the way it reacts to external infections or invasive harmful agents (e.g. virus, bacteria, parasites). They focus their study on those diseases that affect the immunology of living organisms in order to classify them for treatment.
- physiologistESCO 2131.4.10Overlapping, not the same
Physiologists study and exert research on the functioning of different living organisms, the parts they are composed of, and their interactions. They understand the fashion in which living systems react to factors such as diseases, physical activity, and stress, and use that information to develop methods and solutions to even out the effect that those stimuli have in living bodies.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H1222 | Responsable médical / Responsable médicale des études cliniques en industrie pharmaceutique | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| K2402 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure de recherche scientifique | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| K2404 | Chargé / Chargée de recherche en industrie pharmaceutique | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| J1106 | Responsable médical / Responsable médicale en région (RMR-MSL) en industrie pharmaceutique | Related, not a match |
| M1710 | Responsable régional / Responsable régionale des relations scientifiques médicales | Related, not a match |
| H1206 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure R&D en industrie | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2421 | Biólogos, botánicos, zoólogos y afines | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 2112 | Otros médicos especialistas | Related, not a matchprovisional |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 41274 | Berufe in der Biologie (Humanbiologie) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 81814 | Fachärzte/-ärztinnen in der Pharmakologie - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 81784 | Berufe in der nicht ärztlichen Therapie und Heilkunde (sonstige spezifische Tätigkeitsangabe) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 051 | 自然科学系研究者 | This occupation is narrower |
| 121 | 医師 | 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