Compare Occupations

SUMMARY
69%
High Risk
46%
Moderate Risk
48%
Moderate Risk
32%
Low Risk
38%
Low Risk
50%
Moderate Risk
JOB SCORE 3.7/10 6.6/10 4.6/10 5.2/10 5.2/10 4.9/10
POLLING
51%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 281 votes)
33%
(Low Risk, Based on 59 votes)
36%
(Low Risk, Based on 39 votes)
49%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 24 votes)
54%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 29 votes)
47%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 64 votes)
GROWTH
by year 2034
2.2%
4.4%
-2.4%
1.5%
1.2%
2.4%
WAGES
$51,000
or $24.52 per hour
$62,700
or $30.14 per hour
$73,340
or $35.26 per hour
$77,390
or $37.20 per hour
$71,190
or $34.22 per hour
$60,850
or $29.25 per hour
VOLUME
as of 2024
424,040
64,720
10,170
64,410
685,140
117,470
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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Snowflake diagram for Structural Iron and Steel Workers Snowflake diagram for Boilermakers Snowflake diagram for Non-Destructive Testing Specialists Snowflake diagram for First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers Snowflake diagram for Sheet Metal Workers
DESCRIPTION Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products. Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings. Construct, assemble, maintain, and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries. Align structures or plate sections to assemble boiler frame tanks or vats, following blueprints. Work involves use of hand and power tools, plumb bobs, levels, wedges, dogs, or turnbuckles. Assist in testing assembled vessels. Direct cleaning of boilers and boiler furnaces. Inspect and repair boiler fittings, such as safety valves, regulators, automatic-control mechanisms, water columns, and auxiliary machines. Test the safety of structures, vehicles, or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment. Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Excludes team or work leaders. Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.

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.