Environmental Economists
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 19-3011.01
Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.
- 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
0.242
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
0.55
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
20 rated tasks · 20 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
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 technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.O*NET Task ID 16902 | 1.0 |
Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs.O*NET Task ID 16903 | 1.0 |
Write research proposals and grant applications to obtain private or public funding for environmental and economic studies.O*NET Task ID 16904 | 1.0 |
Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems.O*NET Task ID 16913 | 1.0 |
Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences.O*NET Task ID 16897 | 0.5 |
Monitor or analyze market and environmental trends.O*NET Task ID 16898 | 0.5 |
Interpret indicators to ascertain the overall health of an environment.O*NET Task ID 16899 | 0.5 |
Identify and recommend environmentally friendly business practices.O*NET Task ID 16900 | 0.5 |
Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.O*NET Task ID 16901 | 0.5 |
Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation.O*NET Task ID 16905 | 0.5 |
Develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental and economic data.O*NET Task ID 16906 | 0.5 |
Develop environmental research project plans, including information on budgets, goals, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements.O*NET Task ID 16908 | 0.5 |
Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes.O*NET Task ID 16909 | 0.5 |
Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives.O*NET Task ID 16910 | 0.5 |
Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption.O*NET Task ID 16914 | 0.5 |
Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and private land use, soil conservation, air and water pollution control, and endangered species protection.O*NET Task ID 16915 | 0.5 |
Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways.O*NET Task ID 19984 | 0.5 |
Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks.O*NET Task ID 19985 | 0.5 |
Develop programs or policy recommendations to promote sustainability and sustainable development.O*NET Task ID 19986 | 0.5 |
Teach courses in environmental economics.O*NET Task ID 21177 | 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®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (20)
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 |
|---|---|
| Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences. | Core |
| Monitor or analyze market and environmental trends. | Core |
| Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations. | Core |
| Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts. | Core |
| Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs. | Core |
| Write research proposals and grant applications to obtain private or public funding for environmental and economic studies. | Core |
| Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation. | Core |
| Develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental and economic data. | Core |
| Develop environmental research project plans, including information on budgets, goals, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements. | Core |
| Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes. | Core |
| Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives. | Core |
| Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems. | Core |
| Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption. | Core |
| Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and private land use, soil conservation, air and water pollution control, and endangered species protection. | Core |
| Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways. | Core |
| Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks. | Core |
| Develop programs or policy recommendations to promote sustainability and sustainable development. | Core |
| Teach courses in environmental economics. | Core |
| Interpret indicators to ascertain the overall health of an environment. | Supplemental |
| Identify and recommend environmentally friendly business practices. | 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
None of this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks is classified as a physical task.
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
Values for the whole SOC 19-3011 group (Economists), not for this O*NET occupation alone.
- Employment, 2025
- 19K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 20K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4.7%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $124,720
- Typical education needed for entry
- Master'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21222 | 경제학 연구원 | This occupation is narrower | 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 2631Economists
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Economists conduct research, monitor data, analyse information and prepare reports and plans to resolve economic and business problems and develop models to analyse, explain and forecast economic behaviour and patterns. They provide advice to business, interest groups and governments to formulate solutions to present or projected economic and business problems.
Tasks
- (a) forecasting changes in the economic environment for short-term budgeting, long-term planning and investment evaluation;
- (b) formulating recommendations, policies and plans for the economy, corporate strategies and investment, and undertaking feasibility studies for projects;
- (c) monitoring economic data to assess the effectiveness, and advise on the appropriateness, of monetary and fiscal policies;
- (d) forecasting production and consumption of specific products and services based on records of past production and consumption and general economic and industry-specific conditions;
- (e) preparing forecasts of income and expenditure, interest rates and exchange rates;
- (f) analysing factors that determine labour force participation, employment, wages, unemployment and other labour market outcomes;
- (g) applying mathematical formulae and statistical techniques and apply to test economic theories and devise solutions to economic problems;
- (h) compiling, analysing and interpreting economic data using economic theory and a variety of statistical and other techniques;
- (i) evaluating the outcome of political decisions concerning public economy and finances and advising on economic policy and possible courses of action in the light of past, present and projected economic factors and trends;
- (j) preparing scholarly papers and reports;
- (k) examining problems related to the economic activities of individual companies;
- (l) conducting research on market conditions in local, regional or national areas to set sales and pricing levels for goods and services, to assess market potential and future trends and to develop business strategies.
Example occupations
Econometrician · Economic adviser · Economic analyst · Economist · Labour economist
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.
- economistESCO 2631.1This occupation is narrower
Economists perform research and develop theories in the field of economics, whether for microeconomic or macroeconomic analysis. They study trends, analyse statistical data, and to some extent work with economic mathematical models in order to advise companies, governments, and related institutions. They advise on product feasibility, trend forecasts, emerging markets, tax policies, and consumer trends.
- environmental policy officerESCO 2422.10.5Overlapping, not the same
Environmental policy officers research, analyse, develop and implement policies related to the environment. They give expert advice to entities such as commercial organisations, government agencies and land developers. Environmental policy officers work on reducing the impact of industrial, commercial and agricultural activities on the environment.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| M1403 | Chargé / Chargée d'études socio-économiques | Related, not a match |
| M1409 | Ingénieur / Ingénieure économiste en entreprise | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2810 | Economistas | This occupation is narrower |
| 2426 | Profesionales de la protección 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 | Related, not a match |
| 91404 | Berufe in Wirtschaftswissenschaften (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 |
|---|---|---|
| 052 | 人文・社会科学系等研究者 | 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