Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators vs Roustabouts, Oil and Gas AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

53 shared · 9 different

core competencies

low risk

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

Side-by-Side Comparison

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators leads 4–0

Metric	Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators	Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
Risk Score	18.1%	24.0%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	4th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	0 / 15	0 / 15
Median Salary	$51,650	$47,510
Employment	46K	45K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Controlling Machines and Processes

Handling and Moving Objects

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Transportation

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

25%

total discount

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

25%

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.

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

0 of 15 at risk

49%Unscrew or tighten pipes, casing, tubing, and pump rods, using hand and power wrenches and tongs.

49%Move pipes to and from trucks, using truck winches and motorized lifts, or by hand.

49%Dig drainage ditches around wells and storage tanks.

47%Clean trucks used in the fields.

45%Keep pipe deck and main deck areas clean and tidy.

Wage Comparison

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas earns -$4,140(-8%) vs Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsRoustabouts, Oil and Gas

10th

$38,030$35,650

25th

$44,740$38,330

Median

$51,650$47,510

75th

$66,060$57,170

90th

$90,110$64,010

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators2028–2035

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$42,301

from $51,650

Roustabouts, Oil and Gas

$36,093

from $47,510

After adjusting for AI risk, Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators offers $6,208 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Paving,

Unique to Roustabouts,

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation

Regulatory Barriers

Decision Complexity

Creativity

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsRoustabouts, Oil and Gas

Find transitions from Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators Find transitions from Roustabouts, Oil and Gas