Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Management and business operations / 11-9121.00

Natural Sciences Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

US jobs
108,690
Median wage
$167,220 a year
Job family
Management and business operations

Can agents do the work of natural sciences managers?

We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Management and business operations:

  • Task levelPartialOnly adjacent evidence. On TheAgentCompany, which gives agents workplace tasks inside a simulated software company, the best agent resolves 42.9% of tasks (a November 2025 result). No task-level benchmark in our collection maps directly to management or business operations.
  • Project levelPartialMixed. OpenAI reports that GPT-5.5's GDPval deliverables won or tied against professionals' work in 84.9% of comparisons, and the best agent passes 73.5% of APEX-Agents tasks on the first try. Running a business is weaker: on Vending-Bench 2 the best model ends a simulated year with $15,515, about a quarter of Andon Labs' estimate for a good strategy.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in management and business operations, not always this occupation's tasks.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.
  • Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.
  • Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.
  • Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.
  • Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.
  • Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
  • Determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals.
  • Prepare project proposals.
  • Develop or implement policies, standards, or procedures for the architectural, scientific, or technical work performed to ensure regulatory compliance or operations enhancement.
  • Recruit personnel or oversee the development or maintenance of staff competence.
  • Prepare and administer budgets, approve and review expenditures, and prepare financial reports.
  • Conduct own research in field of expertise.
Other job titles for this occupation (34)

Analytical Services Manager · Chemical Engineer Supervisor · Chemical Process Exploration Manager · Environmental Program Manager · Lab Manager (Laboratory Manager) · Natural Sciences Manager · Research Administrator · Research and Development Director (R and D Director) · Research Manager · Water Team Leader · Agricultural Research Director · Agriculture Research Director · Chemical Plant Technical Director · Clinical Project Manager · Clinical Trials Manager · Environmental Research Project Manager · Geochemical Manager · Geological Manager · Geophysical Manager · Gravity Manager · Lab Director (Laboratory Director) · Laboratory Operations Director (Lab Operations Director) · Laboratory Services Administrative Director (Lab Services Administrative Director) · Natural Resources Manager · Ocean Program Administrator · Quarrying Manager · Regulatory Manager · Research and Development Manager (R & D Manager) · Research Coordinator · Research Development Director · Research Development Manager · Research Director · Research Project Coordinator · Wild Life Manager