Survey researchers design surveys and analyze data. They decide who to ask and how, write and test questions, run the survey and turn the answers into findings for governments, companies and universities. AI can draft questions and summarize answers, and big data already replaces some survey work.
The short answer: this job is shrinking, and the BLS ties that to data technology. The ILO's 2025 index rates mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians, the closest group, at gradient 3 with a score of 0.56. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 5 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 600 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed survey researchers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematicians, Actuaries and Statisticians | Gradient 3 | 0.56 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for survey researchers, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Survey researchers | Decline 5% | About 600 |
The BLS says the use of big data in market research is expected to make survey research work more efficient and will likely reduce demand for survey researchers to gather survey information. It adds that ongoing adoption of data mining and collecting information from social media sites are expected to lessen the need for some traditional survey methods.
What automation is taking on
- Gathering opinions and behavior from existing data instead of new surveys.
- Running online surveys and cleaning the results automatically.
- Coding open-ended answers and drafting summaries with AI.
What stays with survey researchers
- Design: choosing who to sample and writing questions that do not bias answers.
- Method and quality: knowing when data is representative and when it is not.
- Interpretation: explaining what results mean and their limits.
- Checking AI help: AI-coded answers and summaries can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
More questions are now answered from existing data, so fewer people are needed just to collect answers. Researchers who combine survey design with data skills, and who can judge when a survey is still the right tool, are better placed. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace market research analysts?, will AI replace statisticians? and will AI replace sociologists?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for survey researchers at $69,460 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: master's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace survey researchers?
The job is projected to shrink. The BLS projects a 5 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 600 openings a year.
Why is the job declining?
The BLS points to big data, data mining and information from social media reducing the need for some traditional surveys.
How exposed are survey researchers to AI?
The ILO rates mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians, the closest group, at gradient 3 with a score of 0.56.
What skills still matter?
Sampling, question design and judging whether data is representative.