AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Weatherization Installers and Technicians?

Task-level automation exposure for Weatherization Installers and Technicians: 20 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

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Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

28% weighted task index

20 of 20 tasks scored

Median Salary

$49,910 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Medium

28,380 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+3.9% employment change

2,400 openings a year · BLS roll-up 47-4090

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 46 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$30,090 – $75,340

Highest medians

Maine $75,340

Massachusetts $70,540

Washington $69,380

North Dakota $66,450

Idaho $65,420

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $30,090

Kentucky $35,420

Mississippi $36,260

Tennessee $41,600

Arkansas $42,670

OEWS has no state row for this exact code, so figures come from the 47-4090 roll-up. 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 28%

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

Physical work 44%

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

Judgment & influence 0%

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

Routine administration 10%

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 22/100 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

20 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) 14%

3 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 20%

4 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 66%

13 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

#21204 · Core · 30% automatable

Test combustible appliances, such as gas appliances.

physical manipulation — Functional product testing is hands-on

Test products for functionality or quality.

#21205 · Core · 23% automatable

Determine amount of air leakage in buildings, using a blower door machine.

physical manipulation — Material characteristic testing needs physical instruments

Test characteristics of materials or structures. Inspect equipment to ensure proper functioning.

#17789 · Core · 18% automatable

Test and diagnose air flow systems, using furnace efficiency analysis equipment.

visual inspection — Direct physical inspection of industrial equipment

Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation.

#17792 · Core · 4% automatable

Install and seal air ducts, combustion air openings, or ventilation openings to improve heating and cooling efficiency.

physical manipulation — Applying filler to surfaces is hands-on

Install green structural components, equipment or systems. Apply material to fill gaps in surfaces.

#17787 · Core · 20% automatable

Inspect buildings to identify required weatherization measures, including repair work, modification, or replacement.

visual inspection — On-site physical condition assessment is human work

Inspect work sites to determine condition or necessary repairs.

#17788 · Core · 52% automatable

Recommend weatherization techniques to clients in accordance with needs and applicable energy regulations, codes, policies, or statutes.

interpersonal — Client dialogue on products/policies is relational

Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.

#17790 · Core · 3% automatable

Apply insulation materials, such as loose, blanket, board, and foam insulation to attics, crawl spaces, basements, or walls.

physical manipulation — Insulation installation requires manual fitting

Install insulation in equipment or structures.

#17794 · Core · 4% automatable

Make minor repairs using basic hand or power tools and materials, such as glass, lumber, and drywall.

physical manipulation — Installing fixtures requires manual dexterity

Install building fixtures.

#17796 · Core · 62% automatable

Prepare cost estimates or specifications for rehabilitation or weatherization services.

data analysis — Construction cost estimation needs site judgment

Estimate construction project costs.

#17801 · Core · 52% automatable

Contact residents or building owners to schedule appointments.

interpersonal — Client dialogue on products/policies is relational

Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.

#17797 · Core · 3% automatable

Wrap air ducts and water lines with insulating materials, such as duct wrap and pipe insulation.

physical manipulation — Insulation installation requires manual fitting

Install insulation in equipment or structures.

#17795 · Core · 4% automatable

Prepare and apply weather-stripping, glazing, caulking, or door sweeps to reduce energy losses.

physical manipulation — Applying filler to surfaces is hands-on

Install insulation in equipment or structures. Apply material to fill gaps in surfaces.

#17800 · Core · 10% automatable

Clean and maintain tools and equipment.

physical manipulation — Equipment and facility cleaning is hands-on

Clean equipment or facilities. Maintain construction tools or equipment.

#17799 · Core · 5% automatable

Apply spackling, compounding, or other materials to repair holes in walls.

physical manipulation — Applying filler to surfaces is hands-on

Apply material to fill gaps in surfaces.

#17802 · Core · 52% automatable

Explain recommendations, policies, procedures, requirements, or other related information to residents or building owners.

interpersonal — Client dialogue on products/policies is relational

Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.

#17803 · Core · 80% automatable

Maintain activity logs, financial transaction logs, or other records of weatherization work performed.

data analysis — Record operational or environmental data into logs

Record operational or environmental data.

#17791 · Core · 52% automatable

Explain energy conservation measures, such as the use of low flow showerheads and energy-efficient lighting.

interpersonal — Client dialogue on products/policies is relational

Communicate with clients about products, procedures, and policies.

#17804 · Core · 80% automatable

Prepare or assist in the preparation of bids, contracts, or written reports related to weatherization work.

text generation — Generate operational reports from structured data

Prepare operational reports.

#17793 · Core · 12% automatable

Install storm windows or storm doors and verify proper fit.

visual inspection — Installation inspection requires on-site physical check

Inspect completed work to ensure proper installation. Install doors or windows.

#17798 · Core · 3% automatable

Wrap water heaters with water heater blankets.

physical manipulation — Insulation installation requires manual fitting

Install insulation in equipment or structures.

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Community Sentiment

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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 →

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