Ship Engineers vs Maintenance Workers, Machinery AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Ship Engineers

58 shared · 23 different

core competencies

medium risk

Maintenance Workers, Machinery

Side-by-Side Comparison

Ship Engineers leads 5–0

Metric	Ship Engineers	Maintenance Workers, Machinery
Risk Score	28.0%	29.7%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	30th	37th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	6 / 15	10 / 15
Median Salary	$101,320	$60,500
Employment	9K	57K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Transportation

Administration and Management

Documenting/Recording Information

Problem Sensitivity

Critical ThinkingAI-Augmented

Speech Clarity

Oral Expression

MonitoringAI-Augmented

Deductive Reasoning

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Ship Engineers

30%

total discount

Maintenance Workers, Machinery

27%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Ship Engineers

6 of 15 at risk

87%Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.

86%Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff.

86%Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations.

85%Order and receive engine room stores, such as oil or spare parts, maintain inventories, and record usage of supplies.

77%Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed.

Maintenance Workers, Machinery

10 of 15 at risk

88%Inventory and requisition machine parts, equipment, and other supplies so that stock can be maintained and replenished.

86%Read work orders and specifications to determine machines and equipment requiring repair or maintenance.

86%Record production, repair, and machine maintenance information.

61%Transport machine parts, tools, equipment, and other material between work areas and storage, using cranes, hoists, or dollies.

57%Set up and operate machines, and adjust controls to regulate operations.

Wage Comparison

Maintenance Workers, Machinery earns -$40,820(-40%) vs Ship Engineers

Ship EngineersMaintenance Workers, Machinery

10th

$56,620$40,080

25th

$71,720$48,600

Median

$101,320$60,500

75th

$130,380$72,260

90th

$162,370$83,560

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Ship Engineers2028–2035

Maintenance Workers, Machinery2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Ship Engineers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Maintenance Workers, Machinery.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Ship Engineers

$72,950

from $101,320

Maintenance Workers, Machinery

$42,562

from $60,500

After adjusting for AI risk, Ship Engineers offers $30,389 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Ship

Unique to Maintenance

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Decision Complexity

Social Intelligence

Ship EngineersMaintenance Workers, Machinery

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