Takeover Tracker
18%low risk
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
vs

59 shared · 12 different

core competencies

24%low risk
Crane and Tower Operators

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricPaving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsCrane and Tower Operators
Risk Score18.1%23.8%
Risk TierLow RiskLow Risk
Risk Percentile4th16th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)0 / 155 / 12
Median Salary$51,650$66,370
Employment46K42K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Far Vision
Performing General Physical Activities
Depth Perception
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Public Safety and Security
Developing and Building Teams
Rate Control
Control Precision
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Building and Construction

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

25%

total discount

Crane and Tower Operators

26%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

0 of 15 at risk
45%Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
41%Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
39%Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
39%Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.
37%Shovel blacktop.

Crane and Tower Operators

5 of 12 at risk
88%Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
88%Weigh bundles, using floor scales, and record weights for company records.
86%Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
84%Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements and remove and batch packaging tickets.
57%Load or unload bundles from trucks or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.

Wage Comparison

Crane and Tower Operators earns +$14,720(+28%) vs Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsCrane and Tower Operators
10th
$38,030$41,670
25th
$44,740$50,970
Median
$51,650$66,370
75th
$66,060$81,630
90th
$90,110$102,400

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators2028–2035
Crane and Tower Operators2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Crane and Tower Operators.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$42,301

from $51,650

Crane and Tower Operators

$50,567

from $66,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Crane and Tower Operators offers $8,266 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Paving,

0

Unique to Crane

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity
Decision Complexity
Fine Manipulation
Regulatory Barriers
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsCrane and Tower Operators
Find transitions from Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsFind transitions from Crane and Tower Operators