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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Thermal engineering Project Manager

The Thermal engineering Project Manager 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
Collecting metrics and preparing management reports31%
Resource planning and scenario modelling22%
People, conflict and accountability decisions3%
Diagnostics using fault codes and telemetry25%
Planning scheduled maintenance29%
Physical repair of a non-standard fault14%
Variant calculations and parameter selection31%
Preparing drawings and technical documents26%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

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

  1. 1Collecting metrics and preparing management reportsAI 31% · human 88%
  2. 2Resource planning and scenario modellingAI 22% · human 82%
  3. 3People, conflict and accountability decisionsAI 3% · human 92%
  4. 4Diagnostics using fault codes and telemetryAI 25% · human 80%
  5. 5Planning scheduled maintenanceAI 29% · human 86%
  6. 6Physical repair of a non-standard faultAI 14% · human 80%
  7. 7Variant calculations and parameter selectionAI 31% · human 75%
  8. 8Preparing drawings and technical documentsAI 26% · human 79%

Why technology can change this work

  • predictive diagnostics identify likely failure points in advance
  • AI prepares reports, plans, minutes and management options
  • autopilot gradually takes control in constrained, well-mapped environments
  • AI generates design options and assists calculations
  • digital twins accelerate testing
  • routine documentation and component selection can be automated

What protects the occupation

  • physical diagnosis, repair and post-intervention equipment validation
  • accountability for people, priorities and conflicting interests
  • a large share of value comes from human judgement, trust or personal accountability
  • operation in bad weather, road works and unpredictable human behavior
  • system reliability and safety accountability
  • real constraints of materials and equipment

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$12 900per month
2035$18 650scenario estimate
2026: $12 90020262027: $13 45020272028: $14 00020282029: $14 60020292030: $15 20020302031: $15 85020312032: $16 50020322033: $17 20020332034: $17 90020342035: $18 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.

Digital Twin Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit89%

Robotics Maintenance Planner

Emerging role
New role risk15%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Industrial Automation Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk21%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Robot Fleet Manager

Emerging role
New role risk12%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit83%

Generative Design Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk16%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit81%

AI Security Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit50%

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

  • fault finding
  • maintenance
  • safe equipment work
  • goal setting
  • people management
  • resource allocation

Skills to build

  • predictive maintenance
  • telemetry-based diagnostics
  • AI-enabled team management
  • auditing AI management recommendations
  • remote autonomous-vehicle supervision
  • telemetry work
CurrentThermal engineering Project Manager · 21%
→
Keepfault finding · maintenance · safe equipment work
→
Addpredictive maintenance · telemetry-based diagnostics · AI-enabled team management

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.