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

48 shared · 18 different

core competencies

21%low risk
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricPaving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsWelders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
Risk Score18.1%21.4%
Risk TierLow RiskLow Risk
Risk Percentile4th10th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)0 / 155 / 15
Median Salary$51,650$51,000
Employment46K424K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Public Safety and Security
Design
Transportation
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Handling and Moving Objects
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Near Vision
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Thinking Creatively

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

25%

total discount

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

27%

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.

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

5 of 15 at risk
84%Examine workpieces for defects and measure workpieces with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
77%Mark or tag material with proper job number, piece marks, and other identifying marks as required.
73%Select and install torches, torch tips, filler rods, and flux, according to welding chart specifications or types and thicknesses of metals.
57%Analyze engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and welding operations.
55%Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.

Wage Comparison

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters earns -$650(-1%) vs Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsWelders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
10th
$38,030$38,130
25th
$44,740$45,580
Median
$51,650$51,000
75th
$66,060$61,610
90th
$90,110$75,850

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators2028–2035
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators

$42,301

from $51,650

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

$40,096

from $51,000

After adjusting for AI risk, Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators offers $2,205 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Paving,

0

Unique to Welders,

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity
Fine Manipulation
Regulatory Barriers
Social Intelligence
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsWelders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
Find transitions from Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment OperatorsFind transitions from Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters