Professionals · code 2131
Biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals
Biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals study living organisms and their interactions with each other and with the environment, and apply this knowledge to solving human health and environmental problems. They work in diverse fields such as botany, zoology, ecology, marine biology, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology, physiology, bacteriology and virology. Tasks include - (a) undertaking research in laboratories and in the field to increase scientific knowledge of living organisms, to discover new information, to test hypotheses, to solve problems in areas such as the environment, agriculture and health, and to develop new products, processes and techniques for pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental use; (b) designing and conducting experiments and tests; (c) gathering human, animal, insect and plant specimens and data, and studying their origin, development, chemical and physical form, structure, composition, and life and reproductive processes; (d) examining living organisms using a variety of specialized equipment, instruments, technologies and techniques such as electron microscopes, telemetry, global positioning systems, biotechnology, satellite imaging, genetic engineering, digital imaging analysis, polymerase chain reaction and computer modelling; (e) identifying, classifying, recording and monitoring living organisms and maintaining databases; (f) writing scientific papers and reports detailing research and any new findings which are then made available to the scientific community in scientific journals or at conferences for scrutiny and further debate; (g) designing and carrying out environmental impact assessments to identify changes caused by natural or human factors; (h) providing advice to governments, organizations and businesses in areas such as conservation, management of natural resources, and the effects of climate change and pollution. Examples of the occupations classified here: - Animal behaviourist - Bacteriologist - Biochemist - Biologist - Biomedical researcher - Biotechnologist - Botanist - Cell geneticist - Marine biologist - Microbiologist - Molecular biologist - Molecular geneticist - Pharmacologist - Zoologist Some related occupations classified elsewhere: - Ecologist - 2133 Notes Medical research professionals who participate in biomedical research using living organisms and do not undertake clinical practice are classified in Unit Group 2131: Biologists, Botanists, Zoologists and Related Professionals. Those who also undertake clinical practice are classified in Minor Group 221: Medical Doctors.
A good share of the tasks are affected. It ranks 329 of 427 for holding up against AI.
Also known as
- immunologist
- food biotechnologist
- animal behaviourist
- biologist
- animal feed nutritionist
- pharmacologist
- bioinformatics scientist
Job titles from the EU's ESCO list. Search for any of them on the jobs page and you'll end up here.
against AI Exposed: Gradient 2
AI could take on 39.7 of 100, on average
so it holds up at 100 − 39.7 = 60.3
That's the whole sum, and you can check it against the ILO's study.
out of 100
From O*NET, averaged across 12 US jobs , so treat it as rough
and cramped
finger skill 32.8 · hand skill 22.7 · cramped spaces 14.9 · averaged
Kind of hands-on work · hands-on under 50 Less than half hands-on
Less than half of this job is hands-on. Robots still matter, but for a smaller part of the work, so we don't sort it any further.
estimated O*NET 31.0 BLS occupational crosswalk chain ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC (Aug 2012, rev. Jun 2015); 2010 to 2018 SOC (Nov 2017); O*NET-SOC 2019 taxonomy data 0.7-work-setting measures chosen by Frey & Osborne (2017) · the grouping is a sorting, not a measurement
What this number leaves out This job rates 37.1 out of 100 for how hands-on it is. The score above only looks at AI tools, not robots, but for work this far from the physical that matters less.
The tasks behind the score
The score is the average of these. A job is really a bundle of tasks, and an average can hide how uneven that bundle is.
The task AI could do most of scores 51.5, while the average is 39.7. A big gap means some of this job is wide open to AI and some of it barely at all. That's quite different from a job where everything sits somewhere in the middle, even when the averages match.
- 51.5
Writing scientific papers and reports detailing research and any new findings which are then made available to the scientific community in scientific journals or at conferences for scrutiny and further debate
Medium - 50
Providing advice to governments, organizations and businesses in areas such as conservation, management of natural resources, the effects of climate change and pollution.
Medium - 46.5
Designing and conducting experiments and tests
Low - 46.5
Designing and carrying out environmental impact assessments to identify changes caused by natural or human factors
Low - 35
Examining living organisms using a variety of specialised equipment, instruments, technologies and techniques such as electron microscopes, telemetry, global positioning systems, biotechnology, satellite imaging, genetic engineering, digital imaging analysis, polymerase chain reaction and computer modelling
Low - 33.8
Undertaking research in laboratories and in the field to increase scientific knowledge of living organisms; to discover new information; to test hypotheses; to solve problems in areas such as the environment, agriculture and health; and to develop new products, processes and techniques for pharmaceutical, agricultural and environmental use
Low - 31
Identifying, classifying, recording and monitoring living organisms and maintaining databases
Low - 23.3
Gathering human, animal, insect and plant specimens and data, and studying their origin, development, chemical and physical form, structure, composition, and life and reproductive processes
Very Low
8 tasks · the High to Very Low labels are the ILO's
from the source Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs 2025 index data 0.7-work-setting
Helped, or replaced?
The score above can't tell a tool that makes you faster from one that does the task instead of you. Jobs and Skills Australia looked at those two things separately, and this is their result, matched to this job.
3 Australian jobs match this one, and we've simply averaged them. Treat the numbers as a rough guide.
- AI helps you
- 73.3
- AI does it for you
- 33.3
Helping wins by 40 points.
estimated Our Gen AI Transition (Gen AI Capacity Study) September 2025 detailed data release data 0.7-work-setting matched to Australian jobs 2341, 2345, 2346
Compared with similar jobs
There are 92 jobs in the “Professionals” group, averaging 61.3. This one is below that.
- Creative and performing artists not e… 87.1
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- Dentists 85.1
- Religious professionals 83.4
- Dancers and choreographers 80.6
- Health professionals not elsewhere cl… 80.5
- Early childhood educators 79.2
- Visual artists 79
- Paramedical practitioners 76.7
- Optometrists and ophthalmic opticians 76.3
- Audiologists and speech therapists 76.2
- Nursing professionals 74.8
- Primary school teachers 73.9
- Specialist medical practitioners 72.9
- Environmental and occupational health… 72
- Musicians, singers and composers 72
- Social work and counselling professio… 71.7
- Physiotherapists 71.6
- Special needs teachers 71.6
- Farming, forestry and fisheries advis… 71.5
- Generalist medical practitioners 71.3
- Mining engineers, metallurgists and r… 70.7
- Secondary education teachers 70.2
- Midwifery professionals 70.1
- Civil engineers 69.8
- Engineering professionals not elsewhe… 69.5
- Judges 68.7
- Electrical engineers 68.6