Maintenance and Repair Workers, General vs Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

57 shared · 20 different

core competencies

low risk

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

Side-by-Side Comparison

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters leads 5–0

Metric	Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters
Risk Score	23.9%	17.8%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	16th	3th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$48,620	$62,970
Employment	1.5M	456K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Design

Equipment MaintenanceAI-Resistant

Repairing

Building and Construction

Controlling Machines and Processes

Thinking Creatively

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others

Troubleshooting

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

26%

total discount

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

29%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

4 of 15 at risk

86%Order parts, supplies, or equipment from catalogs or suppliers.

58%Test and treat water supply.

55%Diagnose mechanical problems and determine how to correct them, checking blueprints, repair manuals, or parts catalogs, as necessary.

53%Plan and lay out repair work, using diagrams, drawings, blueprints, maintenance manuals, or schematic diagrams.

41%Inspect, operate, or test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunctions.

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

3 of 15 at risk

86%Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.

55%Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.

51%Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.

43%Inspect work sites for obstructions or holes that could cause structural weakness.

39%Inspect, examine, or test installed systems or pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.

Wage Comparison

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters earns +$14,350(+30%) vs Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralPipe Fitters and Steamfitters

10th

$33,860$40,670

25th

$39,050$48,860

Median

$48,620$62,970

75th

$61,710$81,900

90th

$76,110$105,150

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General2028–2035

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Maintenance and Repair Workers, General.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

$36,985

from $48,620

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

$51,774

from $62,970

After adjusting for AI risk, Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters offers $14,789 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Maintenance

Unique to Pipe

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity

Decision Complexity

Social Intelligence

Regulatory Barriers

Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralPipe Fitters and Steamfitters

Find transitions from Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Find transitions from Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters