Takeover Tracker
30%medium risk
Water/Wastewater Engineers
vs

61 shared · 31 different

core competencies

32%medium risk
Materials Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricWater/Wastewater EngineersMaterials Engineers
Risk Score30.0%31.7%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile39th49th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)4 / 156 / 15
Median Salary$104,170$108,310
Employment38K23K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Building and Construction
Biology
Production and Processing
Customer and Personal Service
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Design
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Chemistry
Sales and Marketing
Developing and Building Teams

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Water/Wastewater Engineers

32%

total discount

Materials Engineers

31%

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.

Materials Engineers

6 of 15 at risk
86%Perform managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
84%Monitor material performance and evaluate material deterioration.
76%Conduct or supervise tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
53%Review new product plans and make recommendations for material selection, based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
51%Evaluate technical specifications and economic factors relating to process or product design objectives.

Wage Comparison

Materials Engineers earns +$4,140(+4%) vs Water/Wastewater Engineers
Water/Wastewater EngineersMaterials Engineers
10th
$64,950$68,040
25th
$80,510$85,820
Median
$104,170$108,310
75th
$130,830$138,370
90th
$161,910$172,000

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Water/Wastewater Engineers2028–2035
Materials Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Water/Wastewater Engineers

$72,950

from $104,170

Materials Engineers

$73,987

from $108,310

After adjusting for AI risk, Materials Engineers offers $1,036 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 Materials

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Social Intelligence
Creativity
Decision Complexity
Water/Wastewater EngineersMaterials Engineers
Find transitions from Water/Wastewater EngineersFind transitions from Materials Engineers