Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 19-2041.00
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
- 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
Exposed tasks only22 rated tasks · 21 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (95.5%)
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 % |
|---|---|
Plan or develop research models, using knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts.19-2041.00 | 0.034137.2 |
Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.19-2041.00 | 0.024426.7 |
Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.19-2041.00 | 0.00768.3 |
Analyze data to determine validity, quality, and scientific significance and to interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.19-2041.00 | 0.00758.2 |
Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.19-2041.00 | 0.00707.6 |
Determine data collection methods to be employed in research projects or surveys.19-2041.00 | 0.00454.9 |
Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.19-2041.00 | 0.00424.6 |
Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.19-2041.00 | 0.00232.5 |
| Not observed on any surface — 14 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. | |
Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations. | —0 |
Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements. | —0 |
Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control. | —0 |
Design or direct studies to obtain technical environmental information about planned projects. | —0 |
Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public. | —0 |
Develop the technical portions of legal documents, administrative orders, or consent decrees. | —0 |
Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment. | —0 |
Monitor environmental impacts of development activities. | —0 |
Develop programs designed to obtain the most productive, non-damaging use of land. | —0 |
Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control. | —0 |
Develop methods to minimize the impact of production processes on the environment, based on the study and assessment of industrial production, environmental legislation, and physical, biological, and social environments. | —0 |
Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials. | —0 |
Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff. | —0 |
Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods. | —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 |
|---|---|
Plan or develop research models, using knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts.O*NET Task ID 1534 | 1.0 |
Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.O*NET Task ID 1514 | 0.5 |
Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.O*NET Task ID 1515 | 0.5 |
Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.O*NET Task ID 1517 | 0.5 |
Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.O*NET Task ID 1519 | 0.5 |
Analyze data to determine validity, quality, and scientific significance and to interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.O*NET Task ID 1520 | 0.5 |
Determine data collection methods to be employed in research projects or surveys.O*NET Task ID 1522 | 0.5 |
Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.O*NET Task ID 1523 | 0.5 |
Develop the technical portions of legal documents, administrative orders, or consent decrees.O*NET Task ID 1524 | 0.5 |
Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment.O*NET Task ID 1525 | 0.5 |
Monitor environmental impacts of development activities.O*NET Task ID 1526 | 0.5 |
Develop programs designed to obtain the most productive, non-damaging use of land.O*NET Task ID 1528 | 0.5 |
Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control.O*NET Task ID 1529 | 0.5 |
Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.O*NET Task ID 1530 | 0.5 |
Design or direct studies to obtain technical environmental information about planned projects.O*NET Task ID 1531 | 0.5 |
Develop methods to minimize the impact of production processes on the environment, based on the study and assessment of industrial production, environmental legislation, and physical, biological, and social environments.O*NET Task ID 1533 | 0.5 |
Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.O*NET Task ID 15218 | 0.5 |
Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.O*NET Task ID 15219 | 0.5 |
Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.O*NET Task ID 15220 | 0.5 |
Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials.O*NET Task ID 15221 | 0.5 |
Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods.O*NET Task ID 15223 | 0.5 |
Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff.O*NET Task ID 15222 | 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 (22)
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 |
|---|---|
| Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations. | Core |
| Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements. | Core |
| Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management. | Core |
| Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data. | Core |
| Monitor environmental impacts of development activities. | Core |
| Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control. | Core |
| Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control. | Core |
| Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples. | Core |
| Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings. | Core |
| Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public. | Core |
| Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials. | Core |
| Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff. | Core |
| Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases. | Supplemental |
| Analyze data to determine validity, quality, and scientific significance and to interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects. | Supplemental |
| Determine data collection methods to be employed in research projects or surveys. | Supplemental |
| Develop the technical portions of legal documents, administrative orders, or consent decrees. | Supplemental |
| Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment. | Supplemental |
| Develop programs designed to obtain the most productive, non-damaging use of land. | Supplemental |
| Design or direct studies to obtain technical environmental information about planned projects. | Supplemental |
| Develop methods to minimize the impact of production processes on the environment, based on the study and assessment of industrial production, environmental legislation, and physical, biological, and social environments. | Supplemental |
| Plan or develop research models, using knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts. | Supplemental |
| Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods. | Supplemental |
0.21/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations. | E0 none |
| Monitor environmental impacts of development activities. | E0 none |
| Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment. | E0 none |
| Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods. | E2 structured facilities |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23711 | 대기 환경 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23712 | 수질 환경 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23713 | 토양 환경 기술자 및 연구원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 23716 | 환경 영향 평가원 | 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 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.
- environmental expertESCO 2143.2Same scope
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 protection managerESCO 1349.13Same scope
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 2133.7Same scope
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.
- airport environment officerESCO 2133.1This occupation is broader
Airport environment officers monitor environmental issues such as emissions, contamination, and wildlife activity in the premises of airports. They report environmental attractors for animals such as nearby rubbish dumps or wetland areas. They can engage in studying the environmental impact that airports are having in the surrounding communities in reference to the diverse contamination that airports produce. They implement the rules to ensure the sustainable development of the airport.
- environmental programme coordinatorESCO 2133.6Overlapping, not the same
Environmental programme coordinators develop programmes for the improvement of environmental sustainability and efficiency within a organisation or institution. They inspect sites in order to monitor an organisation's or institution's compliance with environmental legislation. They also ensure education for the public on environmental concerns.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H1311 | Responsable en santé environnementale | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| A1313 | Chargé / Chargée de mission environnement | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| H1302 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure Hygiène, Sécurité et Environnement en industrie (HSE) | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| K2413 | Chercheur / Chercheuse des écosystèmes | 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 narrower |
| 2158 | Profesionales de la salud y la higiene laboral y 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 42314 | Berufe in der Umweltschutzverwaltung und -beratung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 42324 | Gewässer-, Immissionsschutz- und Abfallbeauftragte - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 159 | 他に分類されない保健医療従事者 | Overlapping, not the same |
| 051 | 自然科学系研究者 | Related, not a match |
| 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