Takeover Tracker
30%medium risk
Automotive Engineers
vs

56 shared · 30 different

core competencies

33%medium risk
Photonics Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricAutomotive EngineersPhotonics Engineers
Risk Score29.7%32.6%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile37th54th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)8 / 154 / 15
Median Salary$102,320$117,750
Employment287K151K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Customer and Personal Service
Developing and Building Teams
Administration and Management
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Mechanical
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Coaching and Developing Others
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
Production and Processing
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Performing Administrative Activities

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Automotive Engineers

33%

total discount

Photonics Engineers

31%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Automotive Engineers

8 of 15 at risk
73%Write, review, or maintain engineering documentation.
53%Design vehicles that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic, to improve fuel efficiency.
52%Develop calibration methodologies, test methodologies, or tools.
51%Develop engineering specifications or cost estimates for automotive design concepts.
51%Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.

Photonics Engineers

4 of 15 at risk
85%Document photonics system or component design processes, including objectives, issues, or outcomes.
57%Write reports or proposals related to photonics research or development projects.
53%Design, integrate, or test photonics systems or components.
51%Conduct research on new photonics technologies.
49%Conduct testing to determine functionality or optimization or to establish limits of photonics systems or components.

Wage Comparison

Photonics Engineers earns +$15,430(+15%) vs Automotive Engineers
Automotive EngineersPhotonics Engineers
10th
$68,740$62,840
25th
$81,800$85,750
Median
$102,320$117,750
75th
$130,290$152,670
90th
$161,240$183,510

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Automotive Engineers2028–2035
Photonics Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Automotive Engineers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Photonics Engineers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Automotive Engineers

$71,921

from $102,320

Photonics Engineers

$79,340

from $117,750

After adjusting for AI risk, Photonics Engineers offers $7,419 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Automotive

0

Unique to Photonics

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation
Social Intelligence
Decision Complexity
Creativity
Automotive EngineersPhotonics Engineers
Find transitions from Automotive EngineersFind transitions from Photonics Engineers