Side-by-Side Comparison
Waiters and Waitresses leads 5–0| Metric | Cashiers | Waiters and Waitresses |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Score | 44.7% | 33.8% |
| Risk Tier | Medium Risk | Medium Risk |
| Risk Percentile | 91th | 61th |
| Tasks at Risk (>50%) | 9 / 15 | 5 / 15 |
| Median Salary | $31,190 | $33,760 |
| Employment | 3.1M | 2.3M |
Skill Comparison
|
Sorted by largest difference
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
Protective Factors
Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement
Cashiers
25%
total discount
Waiters and Waitresses
28%
total discount
Task Risk Comparison
Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable
Cashiers
9 of 15 at risk88%Calculate total payments received during a time period, and reconcile this with total sales.
88%Keep periodic balance sheets of amounts and numbers of transactions.
86%Issue receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers.
86%Issue trading stamps and redeem food stamps and coupons.
84%Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staffed appropriately.
Waiters and Waitresses
5 of 15 at risk89%Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
87%Collect payments from customers.
87%Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
85%Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
51%Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.
Wage Comparison
Waiters and Waitresses earns +$2,570(+8%) vs Cashiers
CashiersWaiters and Waitresses
10th
$23,070$18,500
25th
$27,780$25,690
Median
$31,190$33,760
75th
$35,410$45,350
90th
$38,220$62,510
Premium Head-to-Head Analysis
Displacement Timeline Comparison
Cashiers2028–2035
Waiters and Waitresses2028–2035
20242030203520402045
Waiters and Waitresses has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Cashiers.
Risk-Adjusted Salary
Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)
Cashiers
$17,239
from $31,190
Waiters and Waitresses
$22,363
from $33,760
After adjusting for AI risk, Waiters and Waitresses offers $5,124 more in risk-adjusted pay.
Transition Feasibility
1%
Skill Overlap
Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition
0
Unique to Cashiers
0
Unique to Waiters
Combined Protection Strategy
Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors
Fine Manipulation
Social Intelligence
Creativity
Decision Complexity
CashiersWaiters and Waitresses