Takeover Tracker
24%low risk
Crane and Tower Operators
vs

63 shared · 13 different

core competencies

44%medium risk
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricCrane and Tower OperatorsMetal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Risk Score23.8%44.2%
Risk TierLow RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile16th90th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)5 / 127 / 15
Median Salary$66,370$55,770
Employment42K20K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Production and Processing
Controlling Machines and Processes
Far Vision
Depth Perception
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Administration and Management
Rate Control
Developing and Building Teams
Multilimb Coordination
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Spatial Orientation

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Crane and Tower Operators

26%

total discount

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

26%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Crane and Tower Operators

5 of 12 at risk
88%Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
88%Weigh bundles, using floor scales, and record weights for company records.
86%Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
84%Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements and remove and batch packaging tickets.
57%Load or unload bundles from trucks or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

7 of 15 at risk
88%Record production data, and maintain production logs.
84%Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
84%Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur.
74%Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
67%Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.

Wage Comparison

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders earns -$10,600(-16%) vs Crane and Tower Operators
Crane and Tower OperatorsMetal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
10th
$41,670$38,760
25th
$50,970$46,550
Median
$66,370$55,770
75th
$81,630$65,070
90th
$102,400$80,280

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Crane and Tower Operators2028–2035
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Crane and Tower Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Crane and Tower Operators

$50,567

from $66,370

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

$31,120

from $55,770

After adjusting for AI risk, Crane and Tower Operators offers $19,448 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Crane

0

Unique to Metal-Refining

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Decision Complexity
Fine Manipulation
Creativity
Regulatory Barriers
Crane and Tower OperatorsMetal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Find transitions from Crane and Tower OperatorsFind transitions from Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders