Packers and Packagers, Hand vs Cooks, Fast Food AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Packers and Packagers, Hand

36 shared · 8 different

core competencies

medium risk

Cooks, Fast Food

Side-by-Side Comparison

Packers and Packagers, Hand leads 5–0

Metric	Packers and Packagers, Hand	Cooks, Fast Food
Risk Score	42.4%	46.3%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	86th	93th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	11 / 13	12 / 15
Median Salary	$35,580	$30,160
Employment	601K	668K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Performing General Physical Activities

Handling and Moving Objects

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Controlling Machines and Processes

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Getting Information

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Packers and Packagers, Hand

24%

total discount

Cooks, Fast Food

23%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Packers and Packagers, Hand

11 of 13 at risk

86%Record product, packaging, and order information on specified forms and records.

84%Measure, weigh, and count products and materials.

63%Examine and inspect containers, materials, or products to ensure that product quality and packing specifications are met.

63%Examine and inspect containers, materials, and products to ensure that packing specifications are met.

61%Mark and label containers, container tags, or products, using marking tools.

Cooks, Fast Food

12 of 15 at risk

88%Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.

76%Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.

75%Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.

61%Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.

59%Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.

Wage Comparison

Cooks, Fast Food earns -$5,420(-15%) vs Packers and Packagers, Hand

Packers and Packagers, HandCooks, Fast Food

10th

$27,050$22,370

25th

$31,470$26,540

Median

$35,580$30,160

75th

$40,960$35,710

90th

$46,260$38,980

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Packers and Packagers, Hand2028–2035

Cooks, Fast Food2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Packers and Packagers, Hand has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Cooks, Fast Food.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Packers and Packagers, Hand

$20,505

from $35,580

Cooks, Fast Food

$16,211

from $30,160

After adjusting for AI risk, Packers and Packagers, Hand offers $4,294 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Packers

Unique to Cooks,

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Packers and Packagers, HandCooks, Fast Food

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