Takeover Tracker
24%low risk
Sheet Metal Workers
vs

55 shared · 13 different

core competencies

13%low risk
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricSheet Metal WorkersInsulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
Risk Score24.2%13.4%
Risk TierLow RiskLow Risk
Risk Percentile17th1th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)7 / 151 / 10
Median Salary$60,850$48,680
Employment117K39K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Mechanical
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Extent Flexibility
Design
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Production and Processing
Performing General Physical Activities
Visualization

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Sheet Metal Workers

27%

total discount

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall

26%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Sheet Metal Workers

7 of 15 at risk
86%Develop or lay out patterns, using computerized metalworking equipment.
86%Verify that heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed, installed, and calibrated in accordance with green certification standards, such as those of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
85%Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.
84%Convert blueprints into shop drawings to be followed in the construction or assembly of sheet metal products.
63%Inspect individual parts, assemblies, or installations, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, scales, or micrometers.

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall

1 of 10 at risk
85%Read blueprints and select appropriate insulation, based on space characteristics and the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material.
47%Move controls, buttons, or levers to start blowers and regulate flow of materials through nozzles.
47%Fill blower hoppers with insulating materials.
11%Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, power saws, knives, or scissors.
11%Fit, wrap, staple, or glue insulating materials to structures or surfaces, using hand tools or wires.

Wage Comparison

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall earns -$12,170(-20%) vs Sheet Metal Workers
Sheet Metal WorkersInsulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
10th
$38,030$35,950
25th
$47,290$40,270
Median
$60,850$48,680
75th
$79,620$60,420
90th
$102,680$77,160

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Sheet Metal Workers2028–2035
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Sheet Metal Workers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Sheet Metal Workers

$46,112

from $60,850

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall

$42,142

from $48,680

After adjusting for AI risk, Sheet Metal Workers offers $3,970 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Sheet

0

Unique to Insulation

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Decision Complexity
Social Intelligence
Creativity
Regulatory Barriers
Sheet Metal WorkersInsulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
Find transitions from Sheet Metal WorkersFind transitions from Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall