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

70 shared · 11 different

core competencies

30%medium risk
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricPaving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Risk Score18.1%29.8%
Risk TierLow RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile4th38th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)0 / 154 / 15
Median Salary$51,650$67,370
Employment46K16K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Controlling Machines and Processes
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Dynamic Strength
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Documenting/Recording Information
Flexibility of Closure
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Far Vision
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Scheduling Work and Activities

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

25%

total discount

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

28%

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.

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

4 of 15 at risk
84%Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
57%Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.
55%Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
53%Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
49%Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.

Wage Comparison

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators earns +$15,720(+30%) vs Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
10th
$38,030$45,720
25th
$44,740$51,630
Median
$51,650$67,370
75th
$66,060$79,330
90th
$90,110$84,840

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators2028–2035
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$42,301

from $51,650

Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

$47,267

from $67,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators offers $4,965 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Paving,

0

Unique to Rail-Track

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity
Fine Manipulation
Decision Complexity
Regulatory Barriers
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsRail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Find transitions from Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsFind transitions from Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators