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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Technologist

A Technologist calculates, designs, tests or maintains technical systems and is accountable for safety, reliability and compliance. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Moderate risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

48%2026
51%2028
55%2030
61%2035

Which tasks are exposed

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

TaskRisk
gathering technical requirements66%
calculation and modelling61%
developing diagrams or drawings57%
selecting materials and components52%
checking standards and safety46%
testing a prototype or system36%
failure analysis25%
maintaining technical documentation17%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

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

  1. 1gathering technical requirementsAI 66% · human 60%
  2. 2calculation and modellingAI 61% · human 66%
  3. 3developing diagrams or drawingsAI 57% · human 73%
  4. 4selecting materials and componentsAI 52% · human 61%
  5. 5checking standards and safetyAI 46% · human 64%
  6. 6testing a prototype or systemAI 36% · human 73%
  7. 7failure analysisAI 25% · human 84%
  8. 8maintaining technical documentationAI 17% · human 74%

Why technology can change this work

  • digital tools reduce preparation and control time
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • key information often emerges only through direct work

What protects the occupation

  • work with physical equipment
  • product quality control
  • response to process deviations

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$6 600per month
2035$8 900scenario estimate
2026: $6 60020262027: $6 80020272028: $7 05020282029: $7 30020292030: $7 55020302031: $7 80020312032: $8 05020322033: $8 35020332034: $8 60020342035: $8 9002035
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.

Industrial Automation Engineer

Established resilient role
New role risk21%
DemandMediumDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit70%

Digital Twin Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit70%

Generative Design Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk16%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit68%

Materials Discovery Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk13%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit52%

AI Evaluation Engineer

Emerging role
New role risk16%
DemandHighDifficultyHighTime12–24 monthsSkill fit56%

Robot Fleet Manager

Emerging role
New role risk12%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit64%

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

  • engineering calculations
  • reading and producing drawings
  • materials knowledge
  • safety standards
  • testing
  • failure analysis

Skills to build

  • digital twins
  • generative engineering
  • model-based development
  • predictive diagnostics
  • equipment cybersecurity
  • AI-calculation validation
CurrentTechnologist · 48%
→
Keepengineering calculations · reading and producing drawings · materials knowledge
→
Adddigital twins · generative engineering · model-based development

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · 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.