Takeover Tracker
28%medium risk
Civil Engineers
vs

46 shared · 43 different

core competencies

34%medium risk
Solar Energy Systems Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricCivil EngineersSolar Energy Systems Engineers
Risk Score27.9%33.9%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile29th62th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)5 / 155 / 13
Median Salary$99,590$117,750
Employment355K151K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Operations Analysis
Building and Construction
English Language
Staffing Organizational Units
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
Administration and Management
Engineering and Technology
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Systems AnalysisAI-Augmented

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Civil Engineers

32%

total discount

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

30%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Civil Engineers

5 of 15 at risk
86%Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility.
53%Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
51%Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
51%Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures using computer assisted design or drawing tools.
50%Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

5 of 13 at risk
86%Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.
84%Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
51%Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
51%Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
51%Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.

Wage Comparison

Solar Energy Systems Engineers earns +$18,160(+18%) vs Civil Engineers
Civil EngineersSolar Energy Systems Engineers
10th
$65,920$62,840
25th
$78,790$85,750
Median
$99,590$117,750
75th
$128,290$152,670
90th
$160,990$183,510

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Civil Engineers2028–2035
Solar Energy Systems Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Civil Engineers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Solar Energy Systems Engineers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Civil Engineers

$71,834

from $99,590

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

$77,786

from $117,750

After adjusting for AI risk, Solar Energy Systems Engineers offers $5,951 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Civil

0

Unique to Solar

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Social Intelligence
Decision Complexity
Creativity
Civil EngineersSolar Energy Systems Engineers
Find transitions from Civil EngineersFind transitions from Solar Energy Systems Engineers