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Science & Research · Updated Aug 2026

Environmental Economists

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.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
78/100
Very high

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
74/100
High

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence83/100
Task coverage85%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
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.High
79
Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives.High
81
Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.High
78
Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks.Medium
80
Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.Medium
82
Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption.Medium
80
Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems.Medium
79
Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes.Medium
81
Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways.Medium
80
Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences.Medium
80
Develop programs or policy recommendations to promote sustainability and sustainable development.Medium
80
Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs.Medium
82
Develop systems for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting environmental and economic data.Medium
80
Develop environmental research project plans, including information on budgets, goals, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements.Medium
80
Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation.Medium
42
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Demonstrate or promote the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.82
  2. Write social, legal, or economic impact statements to inform decision makers for natural resource policies, standards, or programs.82
  3. Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives.81
  4. Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes.81
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Examine the exhaustibility of natural resources or the long-term costs of environmental rehabilitation.01
  2. Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts.02
  3. 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.03
  4. Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption.04
  5. Perform complex, dynamic, and integrated mathematical modeling of ecological, environmental, or economic systems.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency49
Physical dependency15
Adoption pressure57
Labour-market resilience45
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence83/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →