Takeover Tracker
33%medium risk
Photonics Engineers
vs

64 shared · 16 different

core competencies

30%medium risk
Aerospace Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricPhotonics EngineersAerospace Engineers
Risk Score32.6%30.3%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile54th40th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)4 / 153 / 15
Median Salary$117,750$134,830
Employment151K68K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
Physics
Operations Analysis
Science
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Controlling Machines and Processes
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Processing Information
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Interacting With Computers
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Photonics Engineers

31%

total discount

Aerospace Engineers

31%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Photonics Engineers

4 of 15 at risk
85%Document photonics system or component design processes, including objectives, issues, or outcomes.
57%Write reports or proposals related to photonics research or development projects.
53%Design, integrate, or test photonics systems or components.
51%Conduct research on new photonics technologies.
49%Conduct testing to determine functionality or optimization or to establish limits of photonics systems or components.

Aerospace Engineers

3 of 15 at risk
86%Maintain records of performance reports for future reference.
71%Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
51%Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
49%Develop software for aerospace systems.
49%Evaluate biofuel performance specifications to determine feasibility for aerospace applications.

Wage Comparison

Aerospace Engineers earns +$17,080(+15%) vs Photonics Engineers
Photonics EngineersAerospace Engineers
10th
$62,840$85,350
25th
$85,750$104,740
Median
$117,750$134,830
75th
$152,670$174,480
90th
$183,510$205,850

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Photonics Engineers2028–2035
Aerospace Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Aerospace Engineers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Photonics Engineers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Photonics Engineers

$79,340

from $117,750

Aerospace Engineers

$93,963

from $134,830

After adjusting for AI risk, Aerospace Engineers offers $14,623 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Photonics

0

Unique to Aerospace

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Decision Complexity
Social Intelligence
Regulatory Barriers
Photonics EngineersAerospace Engineers
Find transitions from Photonics EngineersFind transitions from Aerospace Engineers