Takeover Tracker
22%low risk
Highway Maintenance Workers
vs

66 shared · 24 different

core competencies

30%medium risk
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricHighway Maintenance WorkersRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Risk Score22.3%29.8%
Risk TierLow RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile12th38th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)3 / 154 / 15
Median Salary$49,070$67,370
Employment152K16K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Handling and Moving Objects
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Selling or Influencing Others
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
Developing and Building Teams
Assisting and Caring for Others
Public Safety and Security
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Highway Maintenance Workers

27%

total discount

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

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.

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

4 of 15 at risk
84%Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
57%Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.
55%Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
53%Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
49%Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.

Wage Comparison

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators earns +$18,300(+37%) vs Highway Maintenance Workers
Highway Maintenance WorkersRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
10th
$35,030$45,720
25th
$41,540$51,630
Median
$49,070$67,370
75th
$59,600$79,330
90th
$69,210$84,840

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Highway Maintenance Workers2028–2035
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Highway Maintenance Workers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Highway Maintenance Workers

$38,118

from $49,070

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

$47,267

from $67,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators offers $9,149 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Highway

0

Unique to Rail-Track

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Social Intelligence
Decision Complexity
Creativity
Highway Maintenance WorkersRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Find transitions from Highway Maintenance WorkersFind transitions from Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators