Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters vs Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

57 shared · 13 different

core competencies

low risk

Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

Side-by-Side Comparison

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters leads 4–1

Metric	Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters	Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
Risk Score	17.8%	20.1%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	3th	7th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	3 / 15	2 / 15
Median Salary	$62,970	$58,540
Employment	456K	1K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Building and Construction

Design

Controlling Machines and Processes

Thinking Creatively

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Mechanical

MathematicsAI-Vulnerable

Visualization

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Fluency of Ideas

Originality

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

29%

total discount

Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

25%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

3 of 15 at risk

86%Select pipe sizes, types, or related materials, such as supports, hangers, or hydraulic cylinders, according to specifications.

55%Lay out full scale drawings of pipe systems, supports, or related equipment, according to blueprints.

51%Plan pipe system layout, installation, or repair, according to specifications.

43%Inspect work sites for obstructions or holes that could cause structural weakness.

39%Inspect, examine, or test installed systems or pipe lines, using pressure gauge, hydrostatic testing, observation, or other methods.

Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

2 of 15 at risk

53%Transfer clay structures to curing ovens, melting tanks, and drawing kilns, using forklifts.

51%Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, mortar powder, and water to form refractory clay or mortar, using shovels or mixing machines.

49%Fasten stopper heads to rods with metal pins to assemble refractory stoppers used to plug pouring nozzles of steel ladles.

49%Dump and tamp clay in molds, using tamping tools.

47%Measure furnace walls to determine dimensions and cut required number of sheets from plastic block, using saws.

Wage Comparison

Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons earns -$4,430(-7%) vs Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

Pipe Fitters and SteamfittersRefractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

10th

$40,670$37,050

25th

$48,860$48,380

Median

$62,970$58,540

75th

$81,900$73,940

90th

$105,150$81,440

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters2028–2035

Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters

$51,774

from $62,970

Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

$46,768

from $58,540

After adjusting for AI risk, Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters offers $5,006 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Pipe

Unique to Refractory

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Pipe Fitters and SteamfittersRefractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

Find transitions from Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters Find transitions from Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons