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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Data annotation Researcher

The Data annotation Researcher 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
Generating routine code and configuration46%
Preparing tests and technical documentation42%
Classifying errors and analyzing logs36%
Data migrations and routine integrations36%
Architecture and technical trade-offs15%
Security and production accountability4%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

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

  1. 1Generating routine code and configurationAI 46% · human 74%
  2. 2Preparing tests and technical documentationAI 42% · human 84%
  3. 3Classifying errors and analyzing logsAI 36% · human 75%
  4. 4Data migrations and routine integrationsAI 36% · human 76%
  5. 5Architecture and technical trade-offsAI 15% · human 80%
  6. 6Security and production accountabilityAI 4% · human 94%

Why technology can change this work

  • tools automate data preparation, experiments and parts of modelling
  • code, configuration and documentation are already digital
  • routine code, tests and technical text can be generated automatically
  • many outputs can be checked with tests and static analysis

What protects the occupation

  • choosing the right objective, data and model-quality criteria
  • architecture decisions and production accountability
  • a large share of value comes from human judgement, trust or personal accountability
  • understanding business constraints and legacy systems
  • security and complex system integration

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$10 150per month
2035$14 650scenario estimate
2026: $10 15020262027: $10 55020272028: $11 00020282029: $11 50020292030: $11 95020302031: $12 45020312032: $13 00020322033: $13 50020332034: $14 10020342035: $14 6502035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Robotics Technician

Established resilient role
New role risk18%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit70%

AI Workflow Designer

Emerging role
New role risk31%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Product Manager

Established resilient role
New role risk31%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Digital Twin Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit64%

AI Application Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk19%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

AI Agent Supervisor

Emerging role
New role risk24%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

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

Skills you already have

  • data work
  • hypothesis testing
  • model-quality evaluation
  • systems thinking
  • software-system understanding
  • debugging

Skills to build

  • AI-system evaluation
  • model-behavior monitoring
  • AI governance
  • AI-agent-assisted development
  • architecture and system design
  • AI-generated code security
CurrentData annotation Researcher · 21%
→
Keepdata work · hypothesis testing · model-quality evaluation
→
AddAI-system evaluation · model-behavior monitoring · AI governance

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.