Highway Maintenance Workers vs Sheet Metal Workers AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Highway Maintenance Workers

61 shared · 26 different

core competencies

low risk

Sheet Metal Workers

Side-by-Side Comparison

Highway Maintenance Workers leads 4–1

Metric	Highway Maintenance Workers	Sheet Metal Workers
Risk Score	22.3%	24.2%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	12th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	3 / 15	7 / 15
Median Salary	$49,070	$60,850
Employment	152K	117K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Public Safety and Security

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Handling and Moving Objects

Selling or Influencing Others

Assisting and Caring for Others

Developing and Building Teams

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Performing Administrative Activities

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Highway Maintenance Workers

27%

total discount

Sheet Metal Workers

27%

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.

Sheet Metal Workers

7 of 15 at risk

86%Develop or lay out patterns, using computerized metalworking equipment.

86%Verify that heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed, installed, and calibrated in accordance with green certification standards, such as those of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

85%Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.

84%Convert blueprints into shop drawings to be followed in the construction or assembly of sheet metal products.

63%Inspect individual parts, assemblies, or installations, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, scales, or micrometers.

Wage Comparison

Sheet Metal Workers earns +$11,780(+24%) vs Highway Maintenance Workers

Highway Maintenance WorkersSheet Metal Workers

10th

$35,030$38,030

25th

$41,540$47,290

Median

$49,070$60,850

75th

$59,600$79,620

90th

$69,210$102,680

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Highway Maintenance Workers2028–2035

Sheet Metal Workers2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Highway Maintenance Workers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Sheet Metal Workers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Highway Maintenance Workers

$38,118

from $49,070

Sheet Metal Workers

$46,112

from $60,850

After adjusting for AI risk, Sheet Metal Workers offers $7,995 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Highway

Unique to Sheet

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Social Intelligence

Fine Manipulation

Regulatory Barriers

Creativity

Highway Maintenance WorkersSheet Metal Workers

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