Takeover Tracker
29%medium risk
Microbiologists
vs

69 shared · 14 different

core competencies

33%medium risk
Molecular and Cellular Biologists

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricMicrobiologistsMolecular and Cellular Biologists
Risk Score29.1%32.9%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile34th56th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)5 / 148 / 15
Median Salary$87,330$93,330
Employment20K60K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Thinking Creatively
Mathematical Reasoning
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Biology
Scheduling Work and Activities
Speech Clarity
Analyzing Data or Information
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Chemistry
Written Comprehension

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Microbiologists

33%

total discount

Molecular and Cellular Biologists

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Microbiologists

5 of 14 at risk
73%Prepare technical reports and recommendations based upon research outcomes.
55%Conduct chemical analyses of substances such as acids, alcohols, and enzymes.
52%Research use of bacteria and microorganisms to develop vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, grain alcohol, sugars, and polymers.
51%Study growth, structure, development, and general characteristics of bacteria and other microorganisms to understand their relationship to human, plant, and animal health.
51%Study the structure and function of human, animal, and plant tissues, cells, pathogens and toxins.

Molecular and Cellular Biologists

8 of 15 at risk
84%Maintain accurate laboratory records and data.
59%Prepare or review reports, manuscripts, or meeting presentations.
57%Write grant applications to obtain funding.
55%Design molecular or cellular laboratory experiments, oversee their execution, and interpret results.
55%Perform laboratory procedures following protocols including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequencing, cloning and extraction, ribonucleic acid (RNA) purification, or gel electrophoresis.

Wage Comparison

Molecular and Cellular Biologists earns +$6,000(+7%) vs Microbiologists
MicrobiologistsMolecular and Cellular Biologists
10th
$51,220$54,500
25th
$63,920$67,950
Median
$87,330$93,330
75th
$120,750$121,350
90th
$150,650$159,780

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Microbiologists2028–2035
Molecular and Cellular Biologists2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Microbiologists has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Molecular and Cellular Biologists.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Microbiologists

$61,961

from $87,330

Molecular and Cellular Biologists

$62,652

from $93,330

After adjusting for AI risk, Molecular and Cellular Biologists offers $692 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Microbiologists

0

Unique to Molecular

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity
Fine Manipulation
Decision Complexity
Regulatory Barriers
MicrobiologistsMolecular and Cellular Biologists
Find transitions from MicrobiologistsFind transitions from Molecular and Cellular Biologists