Will AI replace zoologists and wildlife biologists?

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 3.6% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 1 of 14 tasks, about 18m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them. (18m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 1 more task has only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so it stays with people here. For 5 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

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:

• Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations. (1h 11m a shift)
• Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs. (1h 11m a shift)
• Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry. (59m a shift)
• Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options. (53m a shift)
• Perform administrative duties, such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff. (47m 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:

• 73% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 68% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 52% are in constant contact with other people

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 28m for a person alone and about 8m 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 characteristics of animals to identify and classify them (about 28m alone, 8m 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 1,400 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 $76,780 a year ($36.91 an hour), 51% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $49,100 and $126,440 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 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 20,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 1,400 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 18,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 566th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 20,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 57% 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, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, 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 Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Use advanced technologies, such as GIS, remote sensing, and drone technology, for wildlife tracking, habitat mapping, and population studies.

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:

• Environmental Restoration Planners (0m touched, $82k median pay)
• Foresters (1h 27m touched, $76k median pay)
• Range Managers (19m touched, $73k median pay)
• Biologists (1h 52m touched, $99k median pay)
• Soil and Plant Scientists (1h 21m touched, $79k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 observed in real AI use, 13 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.