Will AI replace calibration technologists and technicians?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 6 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, 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:

• Calibrate devices by comparing measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, or other environmental conditions to known standards. (2h 5m a shift)
• Conduct calibration tests to determine performance or reliability of mechanical, structural, or electromechanical equipment. (1h 27m a shift)
• Write and submit reports about the results of calibration tests. (56m a shift)
• Analyze test data to identify defects or determine calibration requirements. (37m a shift)
• Maintain or repair measurement devices or equipment used for calibration testing. (37m a shift)

On Indeed, job postings in the Industrial Engineering sector are at 124% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 38% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 1,500 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 $67,820 a year ($32.61 an hour), 33% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $46,680 and $106,550 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 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 18,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 1,500 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 17,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 582nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 18,000 in 2035.

O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate'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:

• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: The MathWorks MATLAB, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel

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:

• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (0m touched, $83k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (19m touched, $78k median pay)
• Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (50m touched, $75k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment (0m touched, $74k median pay)
• Robotics Technicians (0m touched, $74k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 15 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.