Takeover Tracker
30%medium risk
Water/Wastewater Engineers
vs

83 shared · 13 different

core competencies

28%medium risk
Civil Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricWater/Wastewater EngineersCivil Engineers
Risk Score30.0%27.9%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile39th29th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)4 / 155 / 15
Median Salary$104,170$99,590
Employment38K355K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Chemistry
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Analyzing Data or Information
Building and Construction
Technology DesignAI-Augmented
Customer and Personal Service
Mechanical
Scheduling Work and Activities
Operations Analysis
Perceptual Speed
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Selling or Influencing Others

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Water/Wastewater Engineers

32%

total discount

Civil Engineers

32%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Water/Wastewater Engineers

4 of 15 at risk
85%Gather and analyze water use data to forecast water demand.
54%Analyze and recommend chemical, biological, or other wastewater treatment methods to prepare water for industrial or domestic use.
52%Design domestic or industrial water or wastewater treatment plants, including advanced facilities with sequencing batch reactors (SBR), membranes, lift stations, headworks, surge overflow basins, ultraviolet disinfection systems, aerobic digesters, sludge lagoons, or control buildings.
51%Perform hydraulic analyses of water supply systems or water distribution networks to model flow characteristics, test for pressure losses, or to identify opportunities to mitigate risks and improve operational efficiency.
49%Analyze storm water or floodplain drainage systems to control erosion, stabilize river banks, repair channel streams, or design bridges.

Civil Engineers

5 of 15 at risk
86%Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility.
53%Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
51%Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
51%Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures using computer assisted design or drawing tools.
50%Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.

Wage Comparison

Civil Engineers earns -$4,580(-4%) vs Water/Wastewater Engineers
Water/Wastewater EngineersCivil Engineers
10th
$64,950$65,920
25th
$80,510$78,790
Median
$104,170$99,590
75th
$130,830$128,290
90th
$161,910$160,990

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Water/Wastewater Engineers2028–2035
Civil Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

Civil Engineers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Water/Wastewater Engineers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Water/Wastewater Engineers

$72,950

from $104,170

Civil Engineers

$71,834

from $99,590

After adjusting for AI risk, Water/Wastewater Engineers offers $1,116 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

1%

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

0

Unique to Water/Wastewater

0

Unique to Civil

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Decision Complexity
Fine Manipulation
Social Intelligence
Regulatory Barriers
Water/Wastewater EngineersCivil Engineers
Find transitions from Water/Wastewater EngineersFind transitions from Civil Engineers