Takeover Tracker
32%medium risk
Materials Engineers
vs

64 shared · 23 different

core competencies

35%medium risk
Product Safety Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricMaterials EngineersProduct Safety Engineers
Risk Score31.7%35.0%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile49th66th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)6 / 154 / 9
Median Salary$108,310$109,660
Employment23K23K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Chemistry
Physics
Customer and Personal Service
Law and Government
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Public Safety and Security
Thinking Creatively
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Controlling Machines and Processes
Number Facility

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Materials Engineers

31%

total discount

Product Safety Engineers

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Materials Engineers

6 of 15 at risk
86%Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
84%Monitor material performance and evaluate material deterioration.
76%Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
53%Review new product plans and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
51%Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.

Product Safety Engineers

4 of 9 at risk
85%Participate in preparation of product usage and precautionary label instructions.
84%Report accident investigation findings.
51%Conduct research to evaluate safety levels for products.
51%Evaluate potential health hazards or damage that could occur from product misuse.
49%Recommend procedures for detection, prevention, and elimination of physical, chemical, or other product hazards.

Wage Comparison

Product Safety Engineers earns +$1,350(+1%) vs Materials Engineers
Materials EngineersProduct Safety Engineers
10th
$68,040$62,050
25th
$85,820$85,400
Median
$108,310$109,660
75th
$138,370$136,150
90th
$172,000$166,670

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Materials Engineers2028–2035
Product Safety Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Materials Engineers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Product Safety Engineers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Materials Engineers

$73,987

from $108,310

Product Safety Engineers

$71,246

from $109,660

After adjusting for AI risk, Materials Engineers offers $2,740 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Materials

0

Unique to Product

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Regulatory Barriers
Creativity
Social Intelligence
Materials EngineersProduct Safety Engineers
Find transitions from Materials EngineersFind transitions from Product Safety Engineers
Materials Engineers vs Product Safety Engineers AI Risk — Takeover Tracker