Takeover Tracker
23%low risk
Surgical Technologists
vs

62 shared · 18 different

core competencies

37%medium risk
Dietetic Technicians

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricSurgical TechnologistsDietetic Technicians
Risk Score22.6%36.5%
Risk TierLow RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile12th70th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)4 / 156 / 14
Median Salary$62,830$37,040
Employment114K30K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Handling and Moving Objects
Medicine and Dentistry
Customer and Personal Service
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Manual DexterityAI-Resistant
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Selective Attention
Controlling Machines and Processes
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Surgical Technologists

32%

total discount

Dietetic Technicians

30%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Surgical Technologists

4 of 15 at risk
86%Order surgical supplies.
84%Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
78%Schedule surgical procedures for patients.
51%Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
49%Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.

Dietetic Technicians

6 of 14 at risk
88%Develop job specifications, job descriptions, or work schedules.
87%Determine food and beverage costs and assist in implementing cost control procedures.
78%Refer patients to other relevant services to provide continuity of care.
72%Observe and monitor patient food intake and body weight, and report changes, progress, and dietary problems to dietician.
72%Observe patient food intake and report progress and dietary problems to dietician.

Wage Comparison

Dietetic Technicians earns -$25,790(-41%) vs Surgical Technologists
Surgical TechnologistsDietetic Technicians
10th
$43,290$28,280
25th
$51,740$32,460
Median
$62,830$37,040
75th
$77,140$44,290
90th
$90,700$53,440

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Surgical Technologists2028–2035
Dietetic Technicians2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Surgical Technologists has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Dietetic Technicians.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Surgical Technologists

$48,649

from $62,830

Dietetic Technicians

$23,509

from $37,040

After adjusting for AI risk, Surgical Technologists offers $25,140 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Surgical

0

Unique to Dietetic

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Regulatory Barriers
Social Intelligence
Decision Complexity
Surgical TechnologistsDietetic Technicians
Find transitions from Surgical TechnologistsFind transitions from Dietetic Technicians