Takeover Tracker
22%low risk
Highway Maintenance Workers
vs

65 shared · 25 different

core competencies

28%medium risk
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricHighway Maintenance WorkersPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Risk Score22.3%28.0%
Risk TierLow RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile12th30th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)3 / 153 / 12
Median Salary$49,070$45,200
Employment152K25K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Handling and Moving Objects
Developing and Building Teams
Public Safety and Security
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Assisting and Caring for Others
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Selling or Influencing Others
Auditory Attention
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Highway Maintenance Workers

27%

total discount

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

28%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Highway Maintenance Workers

3 of 15 at risk
61%Measure and mark locations for installation of markers, using tape, string, or chalk.
61%Paint traffic control lines and place pavement traffic messages, by hand or using machines.
51%Drive trucks to transport crews and equipment to work sites.
49%Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
47%Apply poisons along roadsides and in animal burrows to eliminate unwanted roadside vegetation and rodents.

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

3 of 12 at risk
87%Record information about pesticide applications, such as the type used and amount applied.
86%Establish driving routes for pesticide applications.
59%Identify lawn or plant diseases to determine the appropriate course of treatment.
49%Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
49%Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas.

Wage Comparison

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation earns -$3,870(-8%) vs Highway Maintenance Workers
Highway Maintenance WorkersPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
10th
$35,030$34,590
25th
$41,540$38,040
Median
$49,070$45,200
75th
$59,600$50,960
90th
$69,210$58,910

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Highway Maintenance Workers2028–2035
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Highway Maintenance Workers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Highway Maintenance Workers

$38,118

from $49,070

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

$32,535

from $45,200

After adjusting for AI risk, Highway Maintenance Workers offers $5,583 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Highway

0

Unique to Pesticide

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Social Intelligence
Fine Manipulation
Regulatory Barriers
Creativity
Highway Maintenance WorkersPesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Find transitions from Highway Maintenance WorkersFind transitions from Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation