Takeover Tracker
28%medium risk
Ship and Boat Captains
vs

42 shared · 57 different

core competencies

23%low risk
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricShip and Boat CaptainsOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Risk Score27.6%23.0%
Risk TierMedium RiskLow Risk
Risk Percentile28th14th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)8 / 156 / 15
Median Salary$85,540$58,710
Employment35K469K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Transportation
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Spatial Orientation
Judgment and Decision MakingAI-Augmented
Building and Construction
Assisting and Caring for Others
Management of Personnel Resources
Written Expression
Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable
Written Comprehension
Law and Government
Far Vision

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Ship and Boat Captains

35%

total discount

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

25%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Ship and Boat Captains

8 of 15 at risk
88%Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
86%Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
86%Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.
78%Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
78%Monitor the loading or discharging of cargo or passengers.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

6 of 15 at risk
87%Keep records of material or equipment usage or problems encountered.
86%Test atmosphere for adequate oxygen or explosive conditions when working in confined spaces.
85%Monitor operations to ensure that health and safety standards are met.
84%Learn and follow safety regulations.
84%Locate underground services, such as pipes or wires, prior to beginning work.

Wage Comparison

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators earns -$26,830(-31%) vs Ship and Boat Captains
Ship and Boat CaptainsOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
10th
$46,260$40,080
25th
$60,800$47,780
Median
$85,540$58,710
75th
$124,530$75,750
90th
$164,230$100,690

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Ship and Boat Captains2028–2035
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Ship and Boat Captains.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Ship and Boat Captains

$61,888

from $85,540

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

$45,195

from $58,710

After adjusting for AI risk, Ship and Boat Captains offers $16,693 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Ship

0

Unique to Operating

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Social Intelligence
Creativity
Regulatory Barriers
Decision Complexity
Ship and Boat CaptainsOperating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
Find transitions from Ship and Boat CaptainsFind transitions from Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators