Takeover Tracker
30%medium risk
Water/Wastewater Engineers
vs

38 shared · 51 different

core competencies

34%medium risk
Solar Energy Systems Engineers

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricWater/Wastewater EngineersSolar Energy Systems Engineers
Risk Score30.0%33.9%
Risk TierMedium RiskMedium Risk
Risk Percentile39th62th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)4 / 155 / 13
Median Salary$104,170$117,750
Employment38K151K

Skill Comparison

|

Sorted by largest difference

Chemistry
Customer and Personal Service
Developing Objectives and Strategies
Engineering and Technology
Processing Information
Operations Analysis
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Analyzing Data or Information
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
Scheduling Work and Activities
Design
English Language

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Water/Wastewater Engineers

32%

total discount

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

30%

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.

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

5 of 13 at risk
86%Create checklists for review or inspection of completed solar installation projects.
84%Create electrical single-line diagrams, panel schedules, or connection diagrams for solar electric systems, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
51%Design or coordinate design of photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal systems, including system components, for residential and commercial buildings.
51%Perform computer simulation of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation system performance or energy production to optimize efficiency.
51%Develop standard operation procedures and quality or safety standards for solar installation work.

Wage Comparison

Solar Energy Systems Engineers earns +$13,580(+13%) vs Water/Wastewater Engineers
Water/Wastewater EngineersSolar Energy Systems Engineers
10th
$64,950$62,840
25th
$80,510$85,750
Median
$104,170$117,750
75th
$130,830$152,670
90th
$161,910$183,510

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Water/Wastewater Engineers2028–2035
Solar Energy Systems Engineers2028–2035
20242030203520402045

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

Risk-Adjusted Salary

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

Water/Wastewater Engineers

$72,950

from $104,170

Solar Energy Systems Engineers

$77,786

from $117,750

After adjusting for AI risk, Solar Energy Systems Engineers offers $4,835 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 Solar

Combined Protection Strategy

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

Fine Manipulation
Decision Complexity
Social Intelligence
Creativity
Water/Wastewater EngineersSolar Energy Systems Engineers
Find transitions from Water/Wastewater EngineersFind transitions from Solar Energy Systems Engineers