Natural sciences managers
SOC Code: 11-9121
Natural sciences managers carries a 46% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $161,180 and +3.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 104,300 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 46% AI exposure, Natural sciences managers sits 9 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 82% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
62/100
Natural sciences managers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $161,180
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C+ +3.7%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 46% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Natural sciences managers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Natural sciences managers shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Average (378 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Natural sciences managers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Natural sciences managers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
46% Higher than most higher than 82% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Natural sciences managers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Natural sciences managers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Natural sciences managers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 11-9121) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Natural sciences managers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Natural sciences managers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Schedule subjects for appointments, procedures, or inpatient stays as required by study protocols.
- 2. Perform specific protocol procedures such as interviewing subjects, taking vital signs, and performing electrocardiograms.
- 3. Assess eligibility of potential subjects through methods such as screening interviews, reviews of medical records, or discussions with physicians and nurses.
- 4. Prepare study-related documentation, such as protocol worksheets, procedural manuals, adverse event reports, institutional review board documents, or progress reports.
- 5. Inform patients or caregivers about study aspects and outcomes to be expected.
- 6. Perform hydrologic, hydraulic, or water quality modeling.
- 7. Record adverse event and side effect data and confer with investigators regarding the reporting of events to oversight agencies.
- 8. Monitor study activities to ensure compliance with protocols and with all relevant local, federal, and state regulatory and institutional polices.
- 9. Oversee subject enrollment to ensure that informed consent is properly obtained and documented.
- 10. Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Complex Problem Solving
- Systems Analysis
- Systems Evaluation
Knowledge Areas
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Design
- Physics
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Geography
- Building and Construction
- Law and Government
- Chemistry
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Natural sciences managers?
Natural sciences managers has an AI exposure score of 46%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Natural sciences managers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Natural sciences managers is projected to grow by 3.7% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 104,300 workers.
What skills are needed for Natural sciences managers?
Key skills for Natural sciences managers include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Natural sciences managers earn?
The median annual wage for Natural sciences managers is $161,180, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Natural sciences managers?
The typical entry-level education for Natural sciences managers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect 5 years or more of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Natural sciences managers?
Natural sciences managers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Natural sciences managers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (46% here).
- Administrative services managers · AI exposure 46%
- Conservation scientists · AI exposure 46%
- Dental assistants · AI exposure 46%
- Economists · AI exposure 46%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.7% here).
- Chemical technicians · growth +3.7%
- First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors · growth +3.7%
- Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks · growth +3.7%
- Insurance sales agents · growth +3.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Natural sciences managers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Natural sciences managers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).