Will AI take my job? Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists
AI will reshape this job
Many of the tasks in this work can be done much faster with AI. Expect fewer people doing more, new expectations, and an edge for people who pair the job with skills AI can’t cover.
What AI is least likely to do in this job
Skills and knowledge this work relies on that depend on people, judgment or hands-on work.
Where AI tools already help
Parts of the work where AI writing, research and analysis tools are already useful.
How to stay ahead
- Lean into what people do best in this work: Psychology, Active Listening, Speaking. Put examples of these on your résumé.
- Learn the AI tools for your field, starting with the tasks they already help with (Reading Comprehension and Writing). People who use them well tend to get the work that remains.
- Know your next move before you need it: look at the more AI-resilient careers below, and what it would take to get there.
- Take Aptly’s free assessments to see which careers fit your interests, personality and strengths, with the AI exposure of every match.
Nearby careers that are more AI-resilient
| Career | AI exposure | U.S. median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Mechatronics Engineers · Not replaced, but changed | 30/100 | $122,930 |
| Materials Engineers · Not replaced, but changed | 32/100 | $112,860 |
| Photonics Engineers · Unlikely | 29/100 | $122,930 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers · Not replaced, but changed | 32/100 | $161,740 |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects · Not replaced, but changed | 40/100 | $112,230 |
| Agricultural Engineers · Not replaced, but changed | 33/100 | $98,590 |
Careers that suit the same kind of person, need similar preparation and pay at least three-quarters as much. Whether one fits you is what Aptly’s free assessments show.
Aptly’s free assessments score 13,000+ careers for your interests, personality and strengths, and show the AI exposure of every match.
Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists earn a median of $102,440 a year in the U.S. Pay by state, requirements and openings.
How this is measured
The score is an estimate of AI exposure: the share of an occupation’s tasks that large language models, and software built on them, could do in half the time or less at the same quality. It comes from a study by researchers at OpenAI and the University of Pennsylvania (Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock, 2023, “GPTs are GPTs”), which rated every task the U.S. Department of Labor lists for each occupation.
Exposure is not the same as job loss. Highly exposed jobs often change rather than disappear, and many people in them become more productive. Use it as a guide to where the work is heading, not a prediction about you.
Check another job
AI exposure: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs”. Skills: O*NET 30. Pay: BLS, May 2025. O*NET-SOC 17-2112.01.