Surgical Assistants vs Occupational Therapy Aides AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Surgical Assistants

55 shared · 30 different

core competencies

low risk

Occupational Therapy Aides

Side-by-Side Comparison

Surgical Assistants leads 5–0

Metric	Surgical Assistants	Occupational Therapy Aides
Risk Score	19.2%	24.2%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	5th	17th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	5 / 15
Median Salary	$48,790	$37,370
Employment	174K	5K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Medicine and Dentistry

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Controlling Machines and Processes

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Handling and Moving Objects

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Visual Color Discrimination

Control Precision

Performing General Physical Activities

Finger Dexterity

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Assisting and Caring for Others

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Surgical Assistants

36%

total discount

Occupational Therapy Aides

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Surgical Assistants

4 of 15 at risk

86%Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.

80%Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.

72%Verify the identity of patient or operative site.

59%Operate sterilizing devices.

47%Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.

Occupational Therapy Aides

5 of 15 at risk

84%Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

80%Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.

78%Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.

68%Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.

53%Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.

Wage Comparison

Occupational Therapy Aides earns -$11,420(-23%) vs Surgical Assistants

Surgical AssistantsOccupational Therapy Aides

10th

$37,290$27,970

25th

$40,740$34,840

Median

$48,790$37,370

75th

$62,280$44,190

90th

$81,290$65,580

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Surgical Assistants2028–2035

Occupational Therapy Aides2028–2035

20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Surgical Assistants

$39,403

from $48,790

Occupational Therapy Aides

$28,338

from $37,370

After adjusting for AI risk, Surgical Assistants offers $11,065 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Surgical

Unique to Occupational

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation

Regulatory Barriers

Decision Complexity

Creativity

Surgical AssistantsOccupational Therapy Aides

Find transitions from Surgical Assistants Find transitions from Occupational Therapy Aides