# Will hazardous materials removal workers be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Hazardous materials removal workers score 14 of 100 for AI exposure. 77% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 3% today and speed up another 20%. - **3%** AI can do it - **20%** AI helps - **77%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 91% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 21 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 16 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed. Container counts and waste logs are routine data recording. | 65% AI can do it | | Organize or track the locations of hazardous items in landfills. Location tracking and inventory logs can be software assisted. | 50% AI helps | | Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods. AI can explain rules and draft compliance documentation; worker stays accountable. | 45% AI helps | | Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices. Sampling is hands-on, but AI can help interpret monitoring data. | 30% AI helps | | Apply bioremediation techniques to hazardous wastes to allow naturally occurring bacteria to break down toxic substances. AI can help plan bioremediation; field application stays hands-on. | 28% AI helps | ## How hazardous materials removal workers compare All occupations (923) Construction and extraction (61) **Hazardous materials removal workers score 14**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 15 for construction and extraction. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $49,450 a year, May 2025 People employed 51,710 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +1.5% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Hold HAZWOPER 40-hour certification for asbestos and lead work - Remove asbestos and lead with HEPA vacuums and scrapers - Operate forklifts, hoists, and cranes for container loading - Track hazardous item locations in inventory management systems - Log container counts and waste types in Microsoft Excel - Schedule equipment upkeep in CMMS software ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Recycling workers12 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/recycling-workers/) - [Highway maintenance workers8 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/highway-maintenance-workers/) - [Insulation workers13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/insulation-workers/) - [Construction workers13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/construction-laborers/) - [Vehicle cleaners13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/vehicle-cleaners/) ## Questions about hazardous materials removal workers and AI Will AI replace hazardous materials removal workers? Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly recording container counts and tracking the locations of hazardous items. Hands-on removal, packing, and loading stay with people because they need a worker on site in protective gear, and the job still depends on that physical presence. Which hazardous materials removal tasks will AI take over? Container logging and location tracking are the tasks AI takes over first. Recording container counts and waste types at disposal sites scores 65 on exposure, since it is routine data entry. Tracking hazardous items in landfills scores 50 and can be software assisted through inventory logs. Which hazardous materials removal tasks stay with people? Physical removal stays with people. Removing asbestos or lead from surfaces scores just 4 on exposure, because scrapers, vacuums, and high-pressure sprayers need a worker in the room. Loading with hoists, forklifts, and cranes scores 3 and is hands-on work on a live site. How can hazardous materials removal workers stay valuable? Keep hands-on certifications current, starting with HAZWOPER and the confined entry permit. Check every AI-generated container log against the physical record in Microsoft Excel. Use CMMS software to schedule equipment upkeep, and build skill in the sampling and monitoring work where AI only helps interpret the data. ## Related jobs - [Water treatment operators25 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/water-treatment-operators/) - [Garbage collectors21 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/garbage-collectors/) - [Heavy equipment operators15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/heavy-equipment-operators/) - [Maintenance workers21 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/maintenance-workers/) ## Next steps for hazardous materials removal workers - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.