Will AI replace Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health?

No exposure score can predict whether AI will replace this role. The 61/100 score means our current model estimates elevated task exposure from the sources listed on this page. It does not predict an employer decision, headcount, or an individual outcome. The task map below shows the work assessed and where human judgment remains important.

Early-career context (study ages 22-25)

This role is in the Elevated exposure band, but its assessed task mix is not automation-heavy. The study found the decline concentrated where AI was more likely to automate rather than augment work, so the headline figure should not be applied directly.

The November 2025 revision reports a 16% relative employment decline for workers ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed U.S. occupations, after firm-level controls, relative to workers in less-exposed fields and more experienced workers in the same occupations.

Use the task map to identify durable work and the skills worth building early.

Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Canaries in the Coal Mine - November 2025 revision

This is group-level U.S. payroll evidence, not a personal forecast. The authors do not claim that AI alone caused the change, and this context does not alter the exposure score.

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Role snapshot

What this role usually involves

O*NET 29.1 exact occupation

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.

Common titles

Environmental Programs SpecialistEnvironmental Protection SpecialistEnvironmental ScientistEnvironmental SpecialistEnvironmental AnalystEnvironmental Health Specialist

O*NET job-zone preparation

Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparation Needed Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

Broad guidance for this preparation level; exact requirements vary by role and employer.

Skills and knowledge

Complex Problem SolvingReading ComprehensionScienceSpeakingWritingCritical Thinking

Work context

Frequent contact with othersDecision latitudeIndoor controlled settingRepeating tasks

Source: O*NET 29.1 exact occupation - Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, SOC 19-2041.00. Context describes the role; the AI-exposure score remains a separate task-exposure estimate.

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health tasks, by AI exposure

We analyzed all 20 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health tasks - 3 augmentable and 17 durable. The full task map - every task with exactly what to do about each - is in your Career Report.

Adjacent career paths

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