Side-by-Side Comparison
Boilermakers leads 5–0| Metric | Boilermakers | Sheet Metal Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Score | 16.1% | 24.2% |
| Risk Tier | Low Risk | Low Risk |
| Risk Percentile | 2th | 17th |
| Tasks at Risk (>50%) | 3 / 15 | 7 / 15 |
| Median Salary | $73,340 | $60,850 |
| Employment | 10K | 117K |
Skill Comparison
|
Sorted by largest difference
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Developing Objectives and Strategies
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Handling and Moving Objects
Controlling Machines and Processes
Design
Operation Monitoring
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Protective Factors
Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement
Boilermakers
30%
total discount
Sheet Metal Workers
27%
total discount
Task Risk Comparison
Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable
Boilermakers
3 of 15 at risk55%Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
51%Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, weak spots, or defective sections, so that they can be repaired.
51%Inspect assembled vessels or individual components, such as tubes, fittings, valves, controls, or auxiliary mechanisms, to locate any defects.
43%Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
39%Locate and mark reference points for columns or plates on boiler foundations, following blueprints and using straightedges, squares, transits, or measuring instruments.
Sheet Metal Workers
7 of 15 at risk86%Develop or lay out patterns, using computerized metalworking equipment.
86%Verify that heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed, installed, and calibrated in accordance with green certification standards, such as those of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
85%Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.
84%Convert blueprints into shop drawings to be followed in the construction or assembly of sheet metal products.
63%Inspect individual parts, assemblies, or installations, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, scales, or micrometers.
Wage Comparison
Sheet Metal Workers earns -$12,490(-17%) vs Boilermakers
BoilermakersSheet Metal Workers
10th
$48,390$38,030
25th
$62,230$47,290
Median
$73,340$60,850
75th
$93,520$79,620
90th
$107,600$102,680
Premium Head-to-Head Analysis
Displacement Timeline Comparison
Boilermakers2028–2035
Sheet Metal Workers2028–2035
20242030203520402045
Boilermakers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Sheet Metal Workers.
Risk-Adjusted Salary
Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)
Boilermakers
$61,554
from $73,340
Sheet Metal Workers
$46,112
from $60,850
After adjusting for AI risk, Boilermakers offers $15,442 more in risk-adjusted pay.
Transition Feasibility
1%
Skill Overlap
Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition
0
Unique to Boilermakers
0
Unique to Sheet
Combined Protection Strategy
Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors
Fine Manipulation
Decision Complexity
Social Intelligence
Regulatory Barriers
BoilermakersSheet Metal Workers