Compare Occupations

SUMMARY
20%
Minimal Risk
12%
Minimal Risk
11%
Minimal Risk
21%
Low Risk
25%
Low Risk
JOB SCORE 7.7/10 6.8/10 7.3/10 7.7/10 6.7/10
POLLING
23%
(Low Risk, Based on 153 votes)
32%
(Low Risk, Based on 95 votes)
32%
(Low Risk, Based on 47 votes)
37%
(Low Risk, Based on 2,681 votes)
51%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 20 votes)
GROWTH
by year 2034
5.7%
4.9%
4.4%
9.1%
11.0%
WAGES
$108,310
or $52.07 per hour
$104,160
or $50.07 per hour
$109,660
or $52.72 per hour
$102,320
or $49.19 per hour
$101,140
or $48.62 per hour
VOLUME
as of 2024
22,770
8,330
23,220
286,760
350,230
SNOWFLAKE [?] The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes. Snowflake diagram for Materials Engineers Snowflake diagram for Materials Scientists Snowflake diagram for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors Snowflake diagram for Mechanical Engineers Snowflake diagram for Validation Engineers
DESCRIPTION Evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for use in products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. Develop new uses for known materials. Includes those engineers working with composite materials or specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Includes metallurgists and metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers. Research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Determine ways to strengthen or combine materials or develop new materials with new or specific properties for use in a variety of products and applications. Includes glass scientists, ceramic scientists, metallurgical scientists, and polymer scientists. Promote worksite or product safety by applying knowledge of industrial processes, mechanics, chemistry, psychology, and industrial health and safety laws. Includes industrial product safety engineers. Perform engineering duties in planning and designing tools, engines, machines, and other mechanically functioning equipment. Oversee installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment such as centralized heat, gas, water, and steam systems. Design or plan protocols for equipment or processes to produce products meeting internal and external purity, safety, and quality requirements.

Compare Occupations Side by Side

Curious how automation and AI could affect your career? Our comparison tool lets you view two or more jobs side by side, helping you quickly spot differences in risk level, pay, growth, and popularity. All of this is based on a mix of academic research, user polling, and official labour data.

Automation Risk

Each occupation shows a probability of automation. A higher score means machines and algorithms are more likely to take over the role in the future.

Job Score

A quick summary of how a job performs overall — factoring in wages, growth, volume, and automation risk. It’s a handy way to see the bigger picture at a glance.

Polling Data

Thousands of visitors cast their votes on how “automatable” each job feels. These community insights are shown alongside the calculated probabilities.

Growth & Wages

See how fast each occupation is projected to grow and what people earn on average. High wages don’t always mean high security — automation risk still matters.

Volume of Workers

Explore how many people currently work in each occupation and in which year the data was recorded. Popularity can affect how disruptive automation will be for the wider economy.

The Snowflake Diagram

Each snowflake visualises the balance between automation risk, wages, growth, and job volume. Bigger and greener areas mean stronger performance in that dimension.

Use this comparison page to research careers, guide students, or simply explore the future of work. All data is regularly updated to keep the results relevant.