Will AI replace atmospheric and space scientists?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 48m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The breakdown: 42m that AI mostly does alone, 6m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 7h 12m (90%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 2.6% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 27 tasks, about 42m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Gather data from sources such as surface or upper air stations, satellites, weather bureaus, or radar for use in meteorological reports or forecasts. (42m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 1 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 6m of a typical shift.

• Measure wind, temperature, and humidity in the upper atmosphere, using weather balloons. (6m a shift; e.g. Automatic Radiosonde Launchers (Vaisala Autosonde AS41/AS15, Meteomodem Robotsonde, Meisei ARS), in use)

7h 12m of a typical shift, or 90%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Interpret data, reports, maps, photographs, or charts to predict long- or short-range weather conditions, using computer models and knowledge of climate theory, physics, and mathematics. (1h 18m a shift)
• Prepare forecasts or briefings to meet the needs of industry, business, government, or other groups. (42m a shift)
• Broadcast weather conditions, forecasts, or severe weather warnings to the public via television, radio, or the Internet or provide this information to the news media. (36m a shift)
• Conduct meteorological research into the processes or determinants of atmospheric phenomena, weather, or climate. (30m a shift)
• Prepare weather reports or maps for analysis, distribution, or use in weather broadcasts, using computer graphics. (30m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 60% talk face to face with others every day
• 50% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important

On Indeed, job postings in the Scientific Research & Development sector are at 84% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 19.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 800 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $99,070 a year ($47.63 an hour), 94% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $53,060 and $161,890 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 11,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 800 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 10,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 665th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 11,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 60% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Science, Active Learning, Mathematics, Complex Problem Solving
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 12m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Adobe Photoshop, C++, Facebook, IBM SPSS Statistics
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Geoscientists (19m touched, $102k median pay)
• Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists (34m touched, $123k median pay)
• Hydrologists (1h 44m touched, $97k median pay)
• Geographers (1h 25m touched, $102k median pay)
• Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians (2h 20m touched, $117k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 2 with robots in real deployments, 24 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.