AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Environmental Restoration Planners?

Task-level automation exposure for Environmental Restoration Planners: 23 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

53% weighted task index

23 of 23 tasks scored

Median Salary

$82,220 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Medium

89,250 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+6.1% employment change

7,300 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 54 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$53,030 – $132,620

Highest medians

District of Columbia $132,620

California $106,510

Rhode Island $100,730

Massachusetts $100,640

Washington $98,300

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $53,030

Virgin Islands $53,830

Arkansas $57,220

Mississippi $57,780

Florida $60,830

State figures come from the 19-2041 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 53%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 5%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 62%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 8%

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 0/100 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

23 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) 35%

8 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 60%

14 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 5%

1 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

#16856 · Core · 45% automatable

Develop environmental restoration project schedules and budgets.

decision support — Conservation plans need field data and stakeholder judgment

Plan natural resources conservation or restoration programs.

#16862 · Core · 65% automatable

Provide technical direction on environmental planning to energy engineers, biologists, geologists, or other professionals working to develop restoration plans or strategies.

information retrieval — Environmental advice is knowledge-based with review

Advise others about environmental management or conservation.

#16875 · Core · 45% automatable

Create habitat management or restoration plans, such as native tree restoration and weed control.

decision support — Conservation plans need field data and stakeholder judgment

Plan natural resources conservation or restoration programs.

#16876 · Core · 30% automatable

Conduct site assessments to certify a habitat or to ascertain environmental damage or restoration needs.

visual inspection — Inspecting natural environments needs field observation

Inspect condition of natural environments.

#16872 · Core · 40% automatable

Collect and analyze data to determine environmental conditions and restoration needs.

data analysis — Statistical analysis of environmental datasets is automatable

Analyze environmental data. Collect environmental data or samples.

#16861 · Core · 36% automatable

Supervise and provide technical guidance, training, or assistance to employees working in the field to restore habitats.

interpersonal — Technical procedure training needs live demonstration and correction

Train personnel in technical or scientific procedures. Supervise scientific or technical personnel.

#16865 · Core · 45% automatable

Plan environmental restoration projects, using biological databases, environmental strategies, and planning software.

decision support — Conservation plans need field data and stakeholder judgment

Plan natural resources conservation or restoration programs.

#16871 · Core · 62% automatable

Communicate findings of environmental studies or proposals for environmental remediation to other restoration professionals.

text generation — AI summarizes research results; human validates

Communicate results of environmental research.

#16859 · Core · 72% automatable

Apply for permits required for the implementation of environmental remediation projects.

text generation — Draft permit docs; human verifies requirements

Prepare documentation for permits or licenses.

#16864 · Core · 58% automatable

Inspect active remediation sites to ensure compliance with environmental or safety policies, standards, or regulations.

decision support — Maps facts to statutes; legal accountability stays human

Assess compliance with environmental laws.

#16873 · Core · 45% automatable

Develop natural resource management plans, using knowledge of environmental planning or state and federal environmental regulatory requirements.

decision support — Resource plans need ecological and political judgment

Develop plans to manage natural or renewable resources.

#16867 · Core · 70% automatable

Identify environmental mitigation alternatives, ensuring compliance with applicable standards, laws, or regulations.

text generation — AI proposes sustainable practices from knowledge base

Identify sustainable business practices.

#16866 · Core · 62% automatable

Identify short- and long-term impacts of environmental remediation activities.

information retrieval — Literature synthesis strong; field measurement human

Research impacts of environmental conservation initiatives.

#16855 · Core · 55% automatable

Notify regulatory or permitting agencies of deviations from implemented remediation plans.

text generation — Drafting agency communications aided; relationships human

Communicate with government agencies.

#23907 · Core · 55% automatable

Write grants to obtain funding for restoration projects.

text generation — Draft grant text; human owns strategy and budget

Write grant proposals. Prepare proposals or grant applications to obtain project funding.

#16863 · Core · 41% automatable

Plan or supervise environmental studies to achieve compliance with environmental regulations in construction, modification, operation, acquisition, or divestiture of facilities such as power plants.

decision support — Environmental research planning aided; field judgment human

Plan environmental research. Direct natural resources management or conservation programs.

#16860 · Core · 68% automatable

Review existing environmental remediation designs.

decision support — Reviews permit reports against standards; human signs off

Review environmental permits, plans, or reports.

#16857 · Core · 55% automatable

Develop and communicate recommendations for landowners to maintain or restore environmental conditions.

decision support — Land management advice needs site-specific judgment

Advise others about land management or conservation.

#16869 · Core · 62% automatable

Conduct feasibility and cost-benefit studies for environmental remediation projects.

information retrieval — Literature synthesis strong; field measurement human

Research impacts of environmental conservation initiatives.

#16870 · Core · 58% automatable

Conduct environmental impact studies to examine the ecological effects of pollutants, disease, human activities, nature, and climate change.

data analysis — Analysis aided; primary environmental data collection human

Research environmental impact of industrial or development activities.

#16868 · Core · 50% automatable

Create environmental models or simulations, using geographic information system (GIS) data and knowledge of particular ecosystems or ecological regions.

data analysis — Models drafted; empirical calibration human

Develop mathematical models of environmental conditions.

#16858 · Core · 72% automatable

Create diagrams to communicate environmental remediation planning, using geographic information systems (GIS), computer-aided design (CAD), or other mapping or diagramming software.

text generation — Generative image tools produce visuals; human curates

Create images or other visual displays.

#16874 · Core · 45% automatable

Develop environmental management or restoration plans for sites with power transmission lines, natural gas pipelines, fuel refineries, geothermal plants, wind farms, or solar farms.

decision support — Conservation plans need field data and stakeholder judgment

Plan natural resources conservation or restoration programs.

Embed this calculator on your site ↓

Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.

<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="environmental-restoration-planners"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script>

Community Sentiment

Do you agree?

Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?

Method

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

See the full method →

Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market

Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.

Read Article ->