Registered Nurses vs Occupational Therapy Assistants AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Registered Nurses

65 shared · 20 different

core competencies

medium risk

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Side-by-Side Comparison

Registered Nurses leads 4–1

Metric	Registered Nurses	Occupational Therapy Assistants
Risk Score	24.4%	26.7%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	18th	24th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$93,600	$68,340
Employment	3.3M	48K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Performing General Physical Activities

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Inductive Reasoning

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Medicine and Dentistry

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Deductive Reasoning

Biology

Problem Sensitivity

Critical ThinkingAI-Augmented

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Registered Nurses

36%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Assistants

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Registered Nurses

4 of 15 at risk

86%Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.

65%Record patients' medical information and vital signs.

57%Conduct specified laboratory tests.

54%Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.

44%Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.

Occupational Therapy Assistants

3 of 15 at risk

86%Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.

84%Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.

74%Attend continuing education classes.

47%Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.

45%Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Assistants earns -$25,260(-27%) vs Registered Nurses

Registered NursesOccupational Therapy Assistants

10th

$66,030$49,070

25th

$78,610$59,950

Median

$93,600$68,340

75th

$107,960$77,340

90th

$135,320$86,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Registered Nurses2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Assistants2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Registered Nurses has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Registered Nurses

$70,771

from $93,600

Occupational Therapy Assistants

$50,093

from $68,340

After adjusting for AI risk, Registered Nurses offers $20,678 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Registered

Unique to Occupational

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Decision Complexity

Regulatory Barriers

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Registered NursesOccupational Therapy Assistants

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