Will AI replace conservation scientists?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 7h 42m (96%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 5.3% 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.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 1 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 18m of a typical shift. For 6 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Revisit land users to view implemented land use practices or plans. (18m a shift; e.g. Solix (Solinftec, ALICE AI), in use)

7h 42m of a typical shift, or 96%, 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:

• Plan soil management or conservation practices, such as crop rotation, reforestation, permanent vegetation, contour plowing, or terracing, to maintain soil or conserve water. (49m a shift)
• Advise land users, such as farmers or ranchers, on plans, problems, or alternative conservation solutions. (49m a shift)
• Apply principles of specialized fields of science, such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, or agriculture, to achieve conservation objectives. (30m a shift)
• Implement soil or water management techniques, such as nutrient management, erosion control, buffers, or filter strips, in accordance with conservation plans. (30m a shift)
• Gather information from geographic information systems (GIS) databases or applications to formulate land use recommendations. (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:

• 74% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 61% talk face to face with others every day

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 2,100 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 $73,010 a year ($35.10 an hour), 43% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $47,550 and $110,410 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 5.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 29,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 2,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 26,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.02% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 503rd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 29,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 70% 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, Mathematics, Systems Evaluation, Complex Problem Solving
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 42m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, ESRI ArcGIS software, Adobe Acrobat

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:

• Soil and Plant Scientists (1h 21m touched, $79k median pay)
• Environmental Restoration Planners (0m touched, $82k median pay)
• Range Managers (19m touched, $73k median pay)
• Water Resource Specialists (32m touched, $167k median pay)
• Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health (2h 16m touched, $82k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 with robots in real deployments, 29 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.