Nanosystems Engineers
Machines can already do 36% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 68%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Nanosystems Engineers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 36% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 7% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2031, and 68% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 154,070 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $122,930 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 68% for contact with people.
- Also called: Process Development Engineer, Research Engineer.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct research related to a range of nanotechnology topics, such as packaging, heat transfer, fluorescence detection, nanoparticle dispersion, hybrid systems, liquid systems, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, optoelectronics, or nanolithography | 14% | 20% to 60% | |
| Synthesize, process, or characterize nanomaterials, using advanced tools or techniques | 12% | 20% to 60% | |
| Prepare reports, deliver presentations, or participate in program review activities to communicate engineering results or recommendations | 9% | 75% to 95% | |
| Design or conduct tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Provide scientific or technical guidance or expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others, using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems | 7% | 71% to 91% | |
| Create designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems or atomic force microscopes | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Supervise technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production | 6% | 10% to 30% | |
| Write proposals to secure external funding or to partner with other companies | 5% | 72% to 95% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills nanosystems engineers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Materials Engineers63% of tasks by 2035 · US median $112,860
- Biochemists and Biophysicists63% of tasks by 2035 · US median $127,410
- Physics Teachers, Postsecondary56% of tasks by 2035 · US median $100,310
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary65% of tasks by 2035 · US median $94,980
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Nanosystems Engineers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2031. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of nanosystems engineers?
Machines can do 36% of the tasks of nanosystems engineers today and 68% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 17-2199.09 (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). Nanosystems Engineers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/nanosystems-engineers/