Range Managers
Machines can already do 29% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 57%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Range Managers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 29% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 57% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 25,950 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $73,010 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 70% for contact with people.
- Also called: Conservationist, Forest Range Program Manager, Land Management Supervisor, Natural Resource Manager.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulate grazing, such as by issuing permits and checking for compliance with standards, and help ranchers plan and organize grazing systems to manage, improve, protect, and maximize the use of rangelands | 13% | 38% to 67% | |
| Measure and assess vegetation resources for biological assessment companies, environmental impact statements, and rangeland monitoring programs | 11% | 3% to 30% | |
| Manage private livestock operations | 10% | 32% to 58% | |
| Coordinate with federal land managers and other agencies and organizations to manage and protect rangelands | 8% | 28% to 52% | |
| Tailor conservation plans to landowners' goals, such as livestock support, wildlife, or recreation | 6% | 35% to 65% | |
| Manage forage resources through fire, herbicide use, or revegetation to maintain a sustainable yield from the land | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Study rangeland management practices and research range problems to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife | 6% | 55% to 85% | |
| Offer advice to rangeland users on water management, forage production methods, and control of brush | 6% | 35% to 58% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills range managers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists53% of tasks by 2035 · US median $76,780
- Foresters54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $76,400
- Forest and Conservation Technicians50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $54,560
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives47% of tasks by 2035 · US median $106,040
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Range Managers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of range managers?
Machines can do 29% of the tasks of range managers today and 57% 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 19-1031.02 (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). Range Managers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/range-managers/