Will AI replace biological technicians?

Parts of the job are being automated. About 2h 46m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots already do largely on their own. The rest still needs a person. The breakdown: 31m that AI mostly does alone, 2h 16m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 5h 14m (65%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 7.4% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 17 tasks, about 31m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings. (31m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 16m of a typical shift. 8 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals. (1h 2m a shift; e.g. Autonomous mobile robots / cobots in clinical labs (review), in use)
• Monitor and observe experiments, recording production and test data for evaluation by research personnel. (49m a shift; e.g. WASPLab with PhenoMATRIX, in use)
• Measure or weigh compounds and solutions for use in testing or animal feed. (18m a shift; e.g. Automated powder dispensing system in a ventilated balance enclosure, in use)
• Feed livestock or laboratory animals. (6m a shift; e.g. Lely Vector, in use)

5h 14m of a typical shift, or 65%, 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:

• Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination. (49m a shift)
• Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties. (43m a shift)
• Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment. (37m a shift)
• Provide technical support and services for scientists and engineers working in fields such as agriculture, environmental science, resource management, biology, and health sciences. (31m a shift)
• Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas. (31m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 84% talk face to face with others every day

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 6h 28m for a person alone and about 51m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings (about 6h 28m alone, 51m with AI)

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 9,400 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 $57,510 a year ($27.65 an hour), 13% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $40,330 and $84,940 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 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 80,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 9,400 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 70,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.04% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 329th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 80,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 49% 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, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Mathematics
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 14m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft .NET Framework, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. 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:

• Cytogenetic Technologists (25m touched, $63k median pay)
• Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians (56m touched, $63k median pay)
• Histotechnologists (1h 46m touched, $63k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 4 with robots in real deployments, 12 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.