Will AI replace quality control analysts?

Not replace, but it is changing the job. About 31m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The other 7h 29m (94%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.4% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 26 tasks, about 31m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses. (31m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 7 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.

7h 29m of a typical shift, or 94%, 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:

• Conduct routine and non-routine analyses of in-process materials, raw materials, environmental samples, finished goods, or stability samples. (2h 23m a shift)
• Complete documentation needed to support testing procedures, including data capture forms, equipment logbooks, or inventory forms. (44m a shift)
• Interpret test results, compare them to established specifications and control limits, and make recommendations on appropriateness of data for release. (31m a shift)
• Calibrate, validate, or maintain laboratory equipment. (25m a shift)
• Write technical reports or documentation, such as deviation reports, testing protocols, and trend analyses. (19m 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:

• 81% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 72% talk face to face with others every day
• 58% say a mistake would be very or extremely serious

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 3h 47m for a person alone and about 39m 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:

• Compile laboratory test data and perform appropriate analyses (about 3h 47m alone, 39m 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 11,000 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 $62,280 a year ($29.94 an hour), 22% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $39,000 and $102,690 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 4.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 93,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 11,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 74,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.05% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 317th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 93,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 38% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. 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:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 29m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: SAP software, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software
• 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:

• Chemical Technicians (4h 53m touched, $60k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 25 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.