Side-by-Side Comparison
Crane and Tower Operators leads 3–1| Metric | Pilots, Ship | Crane and Tower Operators |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Score | 25.8% | 23.8% |
| Risk Tier | Medium Risk | Low Risk |
| Risk Percentile | 21th | 16th |
| Tasks at Risk (>50%) | 5 / 15 | 5 / 12 |
| Median Salary | $85,540 | $66,370 |
| Employment | 35K | 42K |
Skill Comparison
|
Sorted by largest difference
Handling and Moving Objects
Transportation
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Training and Teaching Others
Spatial Orientation
Controlling Machines and Processes
Far Vision
Flexibility of Closure
Coaching and Developing Others
Glare Sensitivity
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Operation and Control
Protective Factors
Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement
Pilots, Ship
32%
total discount
Crane and Tower Operators
26%
total discount
Task Risk Comparison
Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable
Pilots, Ship
5 of 15 at risk88%Maintain ship logs.
84%Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.
78%Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.
53%Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.
51%Set ships' courses that avoid reefs, outlying shoals, or other hazards, using navigational aids, such as lighthouses or buoys.
Crane and Tower Operators
5 of 12 at risk88%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 -$19,170(-22%) vs Pilots, Ship
Pilots, ShipCrane and Tower Operators
10th
$46,260$41,670
25th
$60,800$50,970
Median
$85,540$66,370
75th
$124,530$81,630
90th
$164,230$102,400
Premium Head-to-Head Analysis
Displacement Timeline Comparison
Pilots, Ship2028–2035
Crane and Tower Operators2028–2035
20242030203520402045
Crane and Tower Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Pilots, Ship.
Risk-Adjusted Salary
Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)
Pilots, Ship
$63,496
from $85,540
Crane and Tower Operators
$50,567
from $66,370
After adjusting for AI risk, Pilots, Ship offers $12,929 more in risk-adjusted pay.
Transition Feasibility
1%
Skill Overlap
Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition
0
Unique to Pilots,
0
Unique to Crane
Combined Protection Strategy
Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors
Fine Manipulation
Regulatory Barriers
Creativity
Decision Complexity
Pilots, ShipCrane and Tower Operators