Environmental Economists
Machines can already do 55% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 82%. Most of the work is changing now.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Environmental Economists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 55% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 24% of them.
- Forecast: machines can already do half of its tasks, and 82% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 17,790 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $124,720 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 48% for contact with people.
- Also called: Environmental Economist, Natural Resource Economist, Research Economist, Resource Economist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write technical documents or academic articles to communicate study results or economic forecasts | 15% | 77% to 97% | |
| Assess the costs and benefits of various activities, policies, or regulations that affect the environment or natural resource stocks | 10% | 60% to 90% | |
| Conduct research on economic and environmental topics, such as alternative fuel use, public and private land use, soil conservation, air and water pollution control, and endangered species protection | 9% | 55% to 85% | |
| Collect and analyze data to compare the environmental implications of economic policy or practice alternatives | 9% | 40% to 75% | |
| Develop economic models, forecasts, or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes | 7% | 85% to 97% | |
| Prepare and deliver presentations to communicate economic and environmental study results, to present policy recommendations, or to raise awareness of environmental consequences | 6% | 50% to 78% | |
| Develop programs or policy recommendations to achieve environmental goals in cost-effective ways | 5% | 35% to 65% | |
| Conduct research to study the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production and consumption | 5% | 55% to 85% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills environmental economists use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Actuaries65% of tasks by 2035 · US median $130,000
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary66% of tasks by 2035 · US median $99,080
- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary62% of tasks by 2035 · US median $123,920
- Industrial Ecologists78% of tasks by 2035 · US median $82,220
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Environmental Economists?
Machines can already do half of its tasks. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of environmental economists?
Machines can do 55% of the tasks of environmental economists today and 82% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 19-3011.01 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Environmental Economists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/environmental-economists/