Takeover Tracker
35%medium risk
Medical Equipment Preparers
vs

61 shared · 22 different

core competencies

23%low risk
Surgical Technologists

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricMedical Equipment PreparersSurgical Technologists
Risk Score35.3%22.6%
Risk TierMedium RiskLow Risk
Risk Percentile67th12th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)6 / 154 / 15
Median Salary$46,490$62,830
Employment73K114K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Documenting/Recording Information
Processing Information
Assisting and Caring for Others
Medicine and Dentistry
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
Customer and Personal Service
Interacting With Computers
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Controlling Machines and Processes
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Medical Equipment Preparers

30%

total discount

Surgical Technologists

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Medical Equipment Preparers

6 of 15 at risk
87%Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
86%Order medical supplies for healthcare facilities or laboratories.
86%Record sterilizer test results.
86%Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
84%Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.

Surgical Technologists

4 of 15 at risk
86%Order surgical supplies.
84%Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
78%Schedule surgical procedures for patients.
51%Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
49%Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.

Wage Comparison

Surgical Technologists earns +$16,340(+35%) vs Medical Equipment Preparers
Medical Equipment PreparersSurgical Technologists
10th
$35,400$43,290
25th
$38,910$51,740
Median
$46,490$62,830
75th
$56,160$77,140
90th
$67,070$90,700

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Medical Equipment Preparers2028–2035
Surgical Technologists2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Surgical Technologists has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Medical Equipment Preparers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Medical Equipment Preparers

$30,079

from $46,490

Surgical Technologists

$48,649

from $62,830

After adjusting for AI risk, Surgical Technologists offers $18,570 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Medical

0

Unique to Surgical

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Social Intelligence
Regulatory Barriers
Decision Complexity
Creativity
Medical Equipment PreparersSurgical Technologists
Find transitions from Medical Equipment PreparersFind transitions from Surgical Technologists