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Science & Research · Updated Aug 2026

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

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.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
62/100
High

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

Replacement Risk
54/100
Moderate

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 coverage87%

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
Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.High
72
Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.Medium
75
Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials.Medium
73
Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.Medium
73
Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.Medium
74
Analyze data to determine validity, quality, and scientific significance and to interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.Medium
71
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.Medium
56
Research sources of pollution to determine their effects on the environment and to develop theories or methods of pollution abatement or control.Medium
70
Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.Medium
39
Design or direct studies to obtain technical environmental information about planned projects.Medium
72
Conduct applied research on environmental topics, such as waste control or treatment or pollution abatement methods.Medium
71
Investigate and report on accidents affecting the environment.Medium
73
Determine data collection methods to be employed in research projects or surveys.Medium
70
Supervise or train students, environmental technologists, technicians, or other related staff.Medium
58
Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.Medium
40
Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.Medium
44
Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.Medium
33
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

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

  1. Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.75
  2. Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.74
  3. Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials.73
  4. Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.73
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. Prepare charts or graphs from data samples, providing summary information on the environmental relevance of the data.01
  2. Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.02
  3. Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.03
  4. Evaluate violations or problems discovered during inspections to determine appropriate regulatory actions or to provide advice on the development and prosecution of regulatory cases.04
  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.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 dependency74
Physical dependency33
Adoption pressure53
Labour-market resilience60
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 →