Occupation · 2026 assessment

Soil science Technician

The Soil science Technician role combines repeatable operations with decisions that require professional context. The index measures task exposure to AI, software automation and robotics—not the probability that the occupation disappears.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

21%2026
27%2028
34%2030
44%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
Diagnostics using fault codes and telemetry25%
Planning scheduled maintenance29%
Physical repair of a non-standard fault14%
Monitoring sensors, fields and crop condition25%
Calculating irrigation, nutrition and treatment30%
Sorting produce by visual characteristics28%
Operating machinery on a standard route38%
Diagnosing problems directly in the field17%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1Diagnostics using fault codes and telemetryAI 25% · human 80%
  2. 2Planning scheduled maintenanceAI 29% · human 86%
  3. 3Physical repair of a non-standard faultAI 14% · human 80%
  4. 4Monitoring sensors, fields and crop conditionAI 25% · human 86%
  5. 5Calculating irrigation, nutrition and treatmentAI 30% · human 86%
  6. 6Sorting produce by visual characteristicsAI 28% · human 84%
  7. 7Operating machinery on a standard routeAI 38% · human 73%
  8. 8Diagnosing problems directly in the fieldAI 17% · human 93%

Why technology can change this work

  • predictive diagnostics identify likely failure points in advance
  • drones and satellites automate field monitoring
  • autonomous machinery takes repetitive operations
  • AI forecasts yield, disease and resource needs

What protects the occupation

  • physical diagnosis, repair and post-intervention equipment validation
  • living systems and weather uncertainty
  • a large share of value comes from human judgement, trust or personal accountability
  • on-farm repair and decision making
  • biological and economic accountability

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$4 350per month
2035$6 300scenario estimate
2026: $4 35020262027: $4 55020272028: $4 70020282029: $4 90020292030: $5 10020302031: $5 35020312032: $5 55020322033: $5 80020332034: $6 05020342035: $6 3002035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Renewable Energy Forecasting Analyst

Skill fit 58% · risk 17%

Search jobs ↗

Skills you already have

  • fault finding
  • maintenance
  • safe equipment work
  • crop or livestock knowledge
  • farm-condition assessment
  • machinery operation

Skills to build

  • predictive maintenance
  • telemetry-based diagnostics
  • precision agriculture
  • agricultural drone operation
  • autonomous farm machinery
  • agricultural data analytics
CurrentSoil science Technician · 21%
→
Keepfault finding · maintenance · safe equipment work
→
Addpredictive maintenance · telemetry-based diagnostics · precision agriculture

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-25 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.