Surgical Assistants vs Respiratory Therapists AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Surgical Assistants

73 shared · 19 different

core competencies

medium risk

Respiratory Therapists

Side-by-Side Comparison

Surgical Assistants leads 3–2

Metric	Surgical Assistants	Respiratory Therapists
Risk Score	19.2%	27.1%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	5th	25th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	4 / 15	3 / 15
Median Salary	$48,790	$80,450
Employment	174K	136K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Performing General Physical Activities

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Documenting/Recording Information

Psychology

Finger Dexterity

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Analyzing Data or Information

Handling and Moving Objects

Visual Color Discrimination

Customer and Personal Service

Reaction Time

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Surgical Assistants

36%

total discount

Respiratory Therapists

36%

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.

Respiratory Therapists

3 of 15 at risk

88%Relay blood analysis results to a physician.

86%Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.

80%Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.

49%Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.

47%Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.

Wage Comparison

Respiratory Therapists earns +$31,660(+65%) vs Surgical Assistants

Surgical AssistantsRespiratory Therapists

10th

$37,290$61,900

25th

$40,740$68,410

Median

$48,790$80,450

75th

$62,280$95,530

90th

$81,290$108,820

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Surgical Assistants2028–2035

Respiratory Therapists2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Surgical Assistants has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Respiratory Therapists.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Surgical Assistants

$39,403

from $48,790

Respiratory Therapists

$58,672

from $80,450

After adjusting for AI risk, Respiratory Therapists offers $19,269 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Surgical

Unique to Respiratory

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation

Regulatory Barriers

Decision Complexity

Creativity

Surgical AssistantsRespiratory Therapists

Find transitions from Surgical Assistants Find transitions from Respiratory Therapists