AI JOB RISK SCANNER
O*NET-SOC 17-2051.02 / model V11 rated-task engine

Will AI replace
Water/Wastewater Engineers?

Design or oversee projects involving provision of potable water, disposal of wastewater and sewage, or prevention of flood-related damage. Prepare environmental documentation for water resources, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Perform hydraulic modeling and pipeline design.

Estimated AI task exposure
63%

High exposure

V11 weights occupation tasks using O*NET Importance, Relevance and Frequency ratings instead of treating every task equally.

28 tasks have usable Task Rating records; weighted-task coverage is 100%.

Digital/info work

71/100

Physical moat

44/100

Human moat

21/100

Rating coverage

100%

28 task statements / 28 rated

Highest-weighted occupation tasks

Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
Importance 92/100Relevance 96/100Frequency 71/100Weight 0.88
Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
Importance 82/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 41/100Weight 0.75
Design domestic or industrial water or wastewater treatment plants, including advanced facilities with sequencing batch reactors (SBR), membranes, lift stations, headworks, surge overflow basins, ultraviolet disinfection systems, aerobic digesters, sludge lagoons, or control buildings.
Importance 80/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 29/100Weight 0.71
Design pumping systems, pumping stations, pipelines, force mains, or sewers for the collection of wastewater.
Importance 74/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 34/100Weight 0.70
Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.
Importance 75/100Relevance 87/100Frequency 33/100Weight 0.69
Design or select equipment for use in wastewater processing to ensure compliance with government standards.
Importance 74/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 27/100Weight 0.69
Design water or wastewater lift stations, including water wells.
Importance 69/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 28/100Weight 0.67
Conduct feasibility studies for the construction of facilities, such as water supply systems, runoff collection networks, water and wastewater treatment plants, or wastewater collection systems.
Importance 68/100Relevance 96/100Frequency 23/100Weight 0.67
Provide technical support on water resource or treatment issues to government agencies.
Importance 68/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 27/100Weight 0.66
Conduct cost-benefit analyses for the construction of water supply systems, runoff collection networks, water and wastewater treatment plants, or wastewater collection systems.
Importance 69/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 22/100Weight 0.65

Task weighting

Each rated task receives a composite weight: 38% relevance, 37% importance and 25% frequency. Core tasks receive a small additional multiplier. Low-precision rows flagged by O*NET for suppression are excluded.

Occupation scoring

When rating coverage is strong, rated tasks contribute 60% of the digital, physical and human task signals and Work Activities contribute 40%. Lower-coverage occupations automatically rely more on Work Activities.

U.S. labor market

BLS Wage & Employment Outlook

Median annual wage

$100,840

BLS OEWS May 2025

National employment

367,840

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+6.4%

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Average annual openings

23

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

BLS labor-market figures are separate from the site's AI-exposure model. Missing values mean a compatible detailed BLS occupation estimate was not published or could not be mapped.

Career pivot radar

Safer Career Alternatives

These options are selected from the same 923-occupation model. They favor a similar task/work profile with meaningfully lower estimated AI exposure. They are suggestions for exploration, not guarantees of job fit.

SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Helpers--Extraction Workers

5%

58 points lower exposure • 69% profile similarity

Median wage: $47,730 Growth 2025–2035: +1.7% Annual openings: 1

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers

5%

58 points lower exposure • 68% profile similarity

Median wage: $56,210 Growth 2025–2035: +4.4% Annual openings: 1

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

9%

54 points lower exposure • 71% profile similarity

Median wage: $61,010 Growth 2025–2035: +10.9% Annual openings: 41

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Millwrights

5%

58 points lower exposure • 69% profile similarity

Median wage: $65,700 Growth 2025–2035: +0.9% Annual openings: 3

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

8%

55 points lower exposure • 71% profile similarity

Median wage: $35,660 Growth 2025–2035: -2.4% Annual openings: 72

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure
SAFER ALTERNATIVE

Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

6%

57 points lower exposure • 71% profile similarity

Median wage: $57,020 Growth 2025–2035: +1.6% Annual openings: 14

more physical-world work, less digital task exposure

Personalized career defense protocol

AI-Proofing Plan

AUTOMATE

  • routine information gathering
  • first-pass document drafting
  • standard reporting and summarization
  • repeatable administrative workflows

AUGMENT

  • research and analysis
  • quality checking AI-generated work
  • decision preparation
  • scenario generation

PROTECT

  • domain expertise
  • exception handling
  • accountability for outcomes

LEARN

  • AI-assisted research
  • workflow automation
  • data literacy
  • prompt and workflow design
  • AI output verification

AI-PROOFING RESOURCES

What this score does not mean

The percentage is a comparative task-exposure index. It is not the probability that this occupation disappears, that a worker is laid off, or that AI can perform the entire job.

New in V11

Find a Safer Career Path

High exposure does not mean starting over. V11 compares your occupation with the other 922 O*NET occupations and surfaces lower-exposure options with similar work profiles.

EXPLORE CAREER ALTERNATIVES
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