Takeover Tracker
34%medium risk
Waiters and Waitresses
vs

46 shared · 7 different

core competencies

39%medium risk
Retail Salespersons

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricWaiters and WaitressesRetail Salespersons
Risk Score33.8%39.5%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile61th79th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)5 / 1510 / 15
Median Salary$33,760$34,580
Employment2.3M3.8M

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Sales and Marketing
Selling or Influencing Others
PersuasionAI-Resistant
NegotiationAI-Resistant
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Service OrientationAI-Resistant

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Waiters and Waitresses

28%

total discount

Retail Salespersons

30%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Waiters and Waitresses

5 of 15 at risk
89%Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.
87%Collect payments from customers.
87%Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.
85%Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
51%Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping and mopping floors, vacuuming carpet, tidying up server station, taking out trash, or checking and cleaning bathroom.

Retail Salespersons

10 of 15 at risk
87%Maintain records related to sales.
86%Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
85%Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.
85%Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
77%Estimate and quote trade-in allowances.

Wage Comparison

Retail Salespersons earns +$820(+2%) vs Waiters and Waitresses
Waiters and WaitressesRetail Salespersons
10th
$18,500$25,600
25th
$25,690$29,140
Median
$33,760$34,580
75th
$45,350$37,850
90th
$62,510$47,930

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Waiters and Waitresses2028–2035
Retail Salespersons2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Waiters and Waitresses has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Retail Salespersons.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Waiters and Waitresses

$22,363

from $33,760

Retail Salespersons

$20,928

from $34,580

After adjusting for AI risk, Waiters and Waitresses offers $1,435 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Waiters

0

Unique to Retail

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Creativity
Decision Complexity
Social Intelligence
Waiters and WaitressesRetail Salespersons
Find transitions from Waiters and WaitressesFind transitions from Retail Salespersons