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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Environmental Engineers?
Task-level automation exposure for Environmental Engineers: 29 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
55%
weighted task index
29 of 29 tasks scored
Median Salary
$107,110 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Medium
38,340 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+6.3%
employment change
2,300 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 51 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$77,560 – $130,510
Highest medians
Louisiana $130,510
California $130,410
Oregon $127,100
Washington $125,460
Texas $123,060
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $77,560
West Virginia $83,200
Arkansas $85,280
New Hampshire $88,610
Wisconsin $89,990
State figures come from the 17-2081 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 55%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 2%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 42%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 24%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 20/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
29 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 45%
13 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 39%
11 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 16%
5 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#15210 · Core · 38% automatable
Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
decision support — AI assists design; engineering and regulatory validation human
Design environmental control systems.
#1377 · Core · 55% automatable
Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
data analysis — Impact assessment aided; site-specific data human
Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
#20195 · Core · 58% automatable
Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
decision support — Design problem conferral aided; accountability stays human
Confer with other personnel to resolve design or operational problems.
#1374 · Core · 70% automatable
Advise corporations or government agencies of procedures to follow in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect people and the environment.
information retrieval — Green practice advice is largely informational
Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
#1373 · Core · 73% automatable
Develop proposed project objectives and targets and report to management on progress in attaining them.
text generation — Generate operational reports from structured data
Determine operational criteria or specifications. Prepare operational reports.
#1370 · Core · 45% automatable
Monitor progress of environmental improvement programs.
data analysis — AI analyzes monitoring data; human samples in field
Monitor activities affecting environmental quality.
#1366 · Core · 75% automatable
Prepare, review, or update environmental investigation or recommendation reports.
text generation — Operational reports drafted from data
Prepare technical or operational reports. Maintain operational records or records systems.
#20197 · Core · 77% automatable
Prepare, maintain, or revise quality assurance documentation or procedures.
text generation — Draft procedural documents from provided content
Maintain operational records or records systems. Prepare procedural documents.
#1379 · Core · 60% automatable
Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste.
text generation — AI drafts technical methods; expert validates feasibility
Develop technical methods or processes.
#1369 · Core · 70% automatable
Provide technical support for environmental remediation or litigation projects, including remediation system design or determination of regulatory applicability.
information retrieval — Green practice advice is largely informational
Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
#19625 · Core · 55% automatable
Prepare or present public briefings on the status of environmental engineering projects.
text generation — Explanatory content drafted; public engagement human
Explain project details to the general public.
#1378 · Core · 62% automatable
Assist in budget implementation, forecasts, or administration.
data analysis — Project budgets drafted by AI, human reviews
Prepare project budgets.
#1380 · Core · 25% automatable
Coordinate or manage environmental protection programs or projects, assigning or evaluating work.
decision support — Environmental development direction needs field accountability
Direct environmental development activities.
#1375 · Core · 70% automatable
Advise industries or government agencies about environmental policies and standards.
information retrieval — Green practice advice is largely informational
Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
#1368 · Core · 75% automatable
Obtain, update, or maintain plans, permits, or standard operating procedures.
data analysis — Maintain records systems; human owns integrity
Maintain operational records or records systems.
#19624 · Core · 25% automatable
Direct installation or operation of environmental monitoring devices or supervise related data collection programs.
decision support — Environmental development direction needs field accountability
Direct environmental development activities.
#1371 · Core · 22% automatable
Inspect industrial or municipal facilities or programs to evaluate operational effectiveness or ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human
Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
#1389 · Core · 65% automatable
Request bids from suppliers or consultants.
decision support — Procurement drafting and comparison; human commits funds
Purchase materials, equipment, or other resources.
#1376 · Core · 70% automatable
Inform company employees or other interested parties of environmental issues.
information retrieval — Green practice advice is largely informational
Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.
#1381 · Core · 55% automatable
Serve as liaison with federal, state, or local agencies or officials on issues pertaining to solid or hazardous waste program requirements.
interpersonal — Conferring with technical staff on plans is relational work
Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
#1372 · Core · 57% automatable
Provide administrative support for projects by collecting data, providing project documentation, training staff, or performing other general administrative duties.
data analysis — Maintain records systems; human owns integrity
Maintain operational records or records systems. Train personnel on proper operational procedures.
#1390 · Core · 48% automatable
Provide environmental engineering assistance in network analysis, regulatory analysis, or planning or reviewing database development.
decision support — AI assists analysis; hands-on research human
Assist engineers or scientists with research.
#1385 · Core · 55% automatable
Develop or present environmental compliance training or orientation sessions.
text generation — Safety standards content AI-draftable; delivery and site context human
Teach safety standards or environmental compliance methods.
#20196 · Core · 22% automatable
Provide assistance with planning, quality assurance, safety inspection protocols, or sampling as part of a team conducting multimedia inspections at complex facilities.
visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human
Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
#1387 · Core · 49% automatable
Develop, implement, or manage plans or programs related to conservation or management of natural resources.
text generation — Detailed work plans drafted from specifications
Prepare detailed work plans. Direct environmental development activities.
#1383 · Core · 75% automatable
Prepare hazardous waste manifests or land disposal restriction notifications.
text generation — Operational reports drafted from data
Prepare technical or operational reports.
#23987 · Core · 37% automatable
Attend professional conferences to share information.
interpersonal — Colleague information exchange is relational, contextual
Attend conferences or workshops to maintain professional knowledge. Exchange information with colleagues.
#19626 · Core · 72% automatable
Write reports or articles for Web sites or newsletters related to environmental engineering issues.
text generation — Reports/evaluations drafted; human owns judgment
Write reports or evaluations. Prepare research or technical reports on environmental issues.
#1388 · Supplemental · 15% automatable
Assess, sort, characterize, or pack known or unknown materials.
physical manipulation — Material characteristic testing needs physical instruments
Test characteristics of materials or structures. Package materials for transport.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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