Industrial Ecologists
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 19-2041.03
Apply principles and processes of natural ecosystems to develop models for efficient industrial systems. Use knowledge from the physical and social sciences to maximize effective use of natural resources in the production and use of goods and services. Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.
- 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
0.055
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
0.38
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 36 hidden tasks38 rated tasks · 38 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (100.0%)
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 % |
|---|---|---|
Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.19-2041.03 | 0.011087.3 | 0.0043100.0 |
Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste management practices.19-2041.03 | 0.001612.7 | —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 |
|---|---|
Create complex and dynamic mathematical models of population, community, or ecological systems.O*NET Task ID 16891 | 1.0 |
Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public.O*NET Task ID 19978 | 1.0 |
Investigate accidents affecting the environment to assess ecological impact.O*NET Task ID 16879 | 0.5 |
Investigate the adaptability of various animal and plant species to changed environmental conditions.O*NET Task ID 16880 | 0.5 |
Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards.O*NET Task ID 16881 | 0.5 |
Research sources of pollution to determine environmental impact or to develop methods of pollution abatement or control.O*NET Task ID 16882 | 0.5 |
Provide industrial managers with technical materials on environmental issues, regulatory guidelines, or compliance actions.O*NET Task ID 16883 | 0.5 |
Plan or conduct studies of the ecological implications of historic or projected changes in industrial processes or development.O*NET Task ID 16884 | 0.5 |
Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability.O*NET Task ID 16885 | 0.5 |
Monitor the environmental impact of development activities, pollution, or land degradation.O*NET Task ID 16886 | 0.5 |
Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes.O*NET Task ID 16888 | 0.5 |
Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems.O*NET Task ID 16889 | 0.5 |
Develop or test protocols to monitor ecosystem components and ecological processes.O*NET Task ID 16890 | 0.5 |
Conduct scientific protection, mitigation, or restoration projects to prevent resource damage, maintain the integrity of critical habitats, and minimize the impact of human activities.O*NET Task ID 16892 | 0.5 |
Carry out environmental assessments in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, or laws.O*NET Task ID 16893 | 0.5 |
Build and maintain databases of information about energy alternatives, pollutants, natural environments, industrial processes, and other information related to ecological change.O*NET Task ID 16894 | 0.5 |
Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions.O*NET Task ID 16895 | 0.5 |
Conduct applied research on the effects of industrial processes on the protection, restoration, inventory, monitoring, or reintroduction of species to the natural environment.O*NET Task ID 16896 | 0.5 |
Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices.O*NET Task ID 19963 | 0.5 |
Develop alternative energy investment scenarios to compare economic and environmental costs and benefits.O*NET Task ID 19964 | 0.5 |
Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences.O*NET Task ID 19965 | 0.5 |
Apply new or existing research about natural ecosystems to understand economic and industrial systems in the context of the environment.O*NET Task ID 19966 | 0.5 |
Conduct analyses to determine the maximum amount of work that can be accomplished for a given amount of energy in a system, such as industrial production systems and waste treatment systems.O*NET Task ID 19967 | 0.5 |
Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques.O*NET Task ID 19968 | 0.5 |
Evaluate the effectiveness of industrial ecology programs, using statistical analysis and applications.O*NET Task ID 19969 | 0.5 |
Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes.O*NET Task ID 19970 | 0.5 |
Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment.O*NET Task ID 19971 | 0.5 |
Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects.O*NET Task ID 19972 | 0.5 |
Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems.O*NET Task ID 19973 | 0.5 |
Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices.O*NET Task ID 19974 | 0.5 |
Perform analyses to determine how human behavior can affect, and be affected by, changes in the environment.O*NET Task ID 19975 | 0.5 |
Perform environmentally extended input-output (EE I-O) analyses.O*NET Task ID 19976 | 0.5 |
Prepare plans to manage renewable resources.O*NET Task ID 19977 | 0.5 |
Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources.O*NET Task ID 19979 | 0.5 |
Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems.O*NET Task ID 19980 | 0.5 |
Research environmental effects of land and water use to determine methods of improving environmental conditions or increasing outputs, such as crop yields.O*NET Task ID 19981 | 0.5 |
Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy.O*NET Task ID 19982 | 0.5 |
Translate the theories of industrial ecology into eco-industrial practices.O*NET Task ID 19983 | 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 (38)
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 |
|---|---|
| Review industrial practices, such as the methods and materials used in construction or production, to identify potential liabilities and environmental hazards. | Core |
| Research sources of pollution to determine environmental impact or to develop methods of pollution abatement or control. | Core |
| Plan or conduct studies of the ecological implications of historic or projected changes in industrial processes or development. | Core |
| Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability. | Core |
| Monitor the environmental impact of development activities, pollution, or land degradation. | Core |
| Identify or develop strategies or methods to minimize the environmental impact of industrial production processes. | Core |
| Investigate the impact of changed land management or land use practices on ecosystems. | Core |
| Create complex and dynamic mathematical models of population, community, or ecological systems. | Core |
| Carry out environmental assessments in accordance with applicable standards, regulations, or laws. | Core |
| Build and maintain databases of information about energy alternatives, pollutants, natural environments, industrial processes, and other information related to ecological change. | Core |
| Forecast future status or condition of ecosystems, based on changing industrial practices or environmental conditions. | Core |
| Recommend methods to protect the environment or minimize environmental damage from industrial production practices. | Core |
| Develop alternative energy investment scenarios to compare economic and environmental costs and benefits. | Core |
| Analyze changes designed to improve the environmental performance of complex systems and avoid unintended negative consequences. | Core |
| Apply new or existing research about natural ecosystems to understand economic and industrial systems in the context of the environment. | Core |
| Conduct environmental sustainability assessments, using material flow analysis (MFA) or substance flow analysis (SFA) techniques. | Core |
| Evaluate the effectiveness of industrial ecology programs, using statistical analysis and applications. | Core |
| Examine local, regional, or global use and flow of materials or energy in industrial production processes. | Core |
| Examine societal issues and their relationship with both technical systems and the environment. | Core |
| Identify environmental impacts caused by products, systems, or projects. | Core |
| Identify or compare the component parts or relationships between the parts of industrial, social, and natural systems. | Core |
| Identify sustainable alternatives to industrial or waste-management practices. | Core |
| Perform analyses to determine how human behavior can affect, and be affected by, changes in the environment. | Core |
| Perform environmentally extended input-output (EE I-O) analyses. | Core |
| Prepare plans to manage renewable resources. | Core |
| Prepare technical and research reports, such as environmental impact reports, and communicate the results to individuals in industry, government, or the general public. | Core |
| Promote use of environmental management systems (EMS) to reduce waste or to improve environmentally sound use of natural resources. | Core |
| Redesign linear, or open-loop, systems into cyclical, or closed-loop, systems so that waste products become inputs for new processes, modeling natural ecosystems. | Core |
| Review research literature to maintain knowledge on topics related to industrial ecology, such as physical science, technology, economy, and public policy. | Core |
| Translate the theories of industrial ecology into eco-industrial practices. | Core |
| Investigate accidents affecting the environment to assess ecological impact. | Supplemental |
| Investigate the adaptability of various animal and plant species to changed environmental conditions. | Supplemental |
| Provide industrial managers with technical materials on environmental issues, regulatory guidelines, or compliance actions. | Supplemental |
| Develop or test protocols to monitor ecosystem components and ecological processes. | Supplemental |
| Conduct scientific protection, mitigation, or restoration projects to prevent resource damage, maintain the integrity of critical habitats, and minimize the impact of human activities. | Supplemental |
| Conduct applied research on the effects of industrial processes on the protection, restoration, inventory, monitoring, or reintroduction of species to the natural environment. | Supplemental |
| Conduct analyses to determine the maximum amount of work that can be accomplished for a given amount of energy in a system, such as industrial production systems and waste treatment systems. | Supplemental |
| Research environmental effects of land and water use to determine methods of improving environmental conditions or increasing outputs, such as crop yields. | 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 |
|---|---|
| Plan or conduct field research on topics such as industrial production, industrial ecology, population ecology, and environmental production or sustainability. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
Values for the whole SOC 19-2041 group (Environmental scientists and specialists, including health), not for this O*NET occupation alone.
- Employment, 2025
- 93K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 99K
- Change (2025–35)
- +6.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $82,220
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23719 | 그 외 환경공학 기술자 및 연구원 | 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 2133Environmental Protection Professionals
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Environmental protection professionals study and assess the effects on the environment of human activity such as air, water and noise pollution, soil contamination, climate change, toxic waste and depletion and degradation of natural resources. They develop plans and solutions to protect, conserve, restore, minimize and prevent further damage to the environment.
Tasks
- (a) conducting research, performing tests, collecting samples, performing field and laboratory analysis to identify sources of environmental problems and recommending ways to prevent, control and remediate the impact of environmental problems;
- (b) assessing the likely impact that potential or proposed activities, projects and developments may have on the environment, and recommending whether such developments should proceed;
- (c) developing and coordinating the implementation of environmental management systems to enable organizations to identify, monitor and control the impact of their activities, products and services on the environment;
- (d) conducting audits to evaluate environmental impact of existing activities, processes, wastes, noises and substances;
- (e) assessing an organization's compliance with government and internal environmental regulations and guidelines, identifying violations and determining appropriate remedial action;
- (f) providing technical advice and support services to organizations on how best to deal with environmental problems in order to reduce environmental damage and minimize financial loss;
- (g) developing conservation plans.
Example occupations
Air pollution analyst · Conservation officer · Conservation scientist · Ecologist · Environmental adviser · Environmental auditor · Environmental consultant · Environmental research scientist · Environmental scientist · Park ranger · Water quality analyst
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.
- ecologistESCO 2133.5This occupation is narrower
Ecologists carry out assessments of the health and distribution of organisms, namely people, plants, and animals, and the relationship between organisms and their environment. Ecologists usually have a specialisation area, e.g. freshwater, marine, terrestrial, fauna, and flora about which they conduct research and perform relating tasks.
- 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 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 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| A1313 | Chargé / Chargée de mission environnement | Related, not a match |
| H1206 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure R&D en industrie | Related, not a match |
| H1239 | Technicien / Technicienne bureau d'études écoconception | Related, not a match |
| M1896 | Analyste cycle de vie dans les télécoms | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2426 | Profesionales de la protección ambiental | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 2437 | Ingenieros ambientales | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 42314 | Berufe in der Umweltschutzverwaltung und -beratung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 42204 | Berufe in der Umweltschutztechnik (ohne Spezialisierung) - 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 051 | 自然科学系研究者 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 119 | その他の技術者 | 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