Takeover Tracker
24%low risk
Crane and Tower Operators
vs

61 shared · 4 different

core competencies

23%low risk
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricCrane and Tower OperatorsOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Risk Score23.8%23.0%
Risk TierLow RiskLow Risk
Risk Percentile16th14th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)5 / 126 / 15
Median Salary$66,370$58,710
Employment42K469K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Building and Construction
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Far Vision
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Crane and Tower Operators

26%

total discount

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

25%

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.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

6 of 15 at risk
87%Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
86%Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces.
85%Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
84%Learn and follow safety regulations.
84%Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.

Wage Comparison

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earns -$7,660(-12%) vs Crane and Tower Operators
Crane and Tower OperatorsOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
10th
$41,670$40,080
25th
$50,970$47,780
Median
$66,370$58,710
75th
$81,630$75,750
90th
$102,400$100,690

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Crane and Tower Operators2028–2035
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Crane and Tower Operators.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Crane and Tower Operators

$50,567

from $66,370

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

$45,195

from $58,710

After adjusting for AI risk, Crane and Tower Operators offers $5,372 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Crane

0

Unique to Operating

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Decision Complexity
Social Intelligence
Creativity
Crane and Tower OperatorsOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Find transitions from Crane and Tower OperatorsFind transitions from Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators