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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators, aggregated from 5 research sources.

What this score means

Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators is among the least exposed roles in Construction & Trades. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 8 out of 100 it scores 5 points below the Construction & Trades average of 13. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 14, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators, most central first, showing 12 of 20.

  • 01Start machine, engage clutch, and push and move levers to guide machine along forms or guidelines and to control the operation of machine attachments.
  • 02Fill tanks, hoppers, or machines with paving materials.
  • 03Control paving machines to push dump trucks and to maintain a constant flow of asphalt or other material into hoppers or screeds.
  • 04Observe distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow, and indicate low spots for workers to add material.
  • 05Coordinate truck dumping.
  • 06Drive machines onto truck trailers, and drive trucks to transport machines and material to and from job sites.
  • 07Inspect, clean, maintain, and repair equipment, using mechanics' hand tools, or report malfunctions to supervisors.
  • 08Set up and tear down equipment.
  • 09Operate machines to spread, smooth, level, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt on road beds.
  • 10Light burners or start heating units of machines, and regulate screed temperatures and asphalt flow rates.
  • 11Control traffic.
  • 12Shovel blacktop.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 5 research sources that scored Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators?
Published research puts Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators at 8 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 5 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators?
Broadly, yes. Individual estimates for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators run from 5 to 14 out of 100 across the 5 sources behind this score, a fairly tight range. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.
Which construction & trades roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published construction & trades roles to Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators by score are Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers (8/100), Helpers--Electricians (8/100), and Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (8/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Asphalt Distributor Operator · Asphalt Distributor Tender · Asphalt Equipment Crew Member · Asphalt Equipment Operator · Asphalt Paver · Asphalt Paver Operator · Asphalt Paving Machine Operator · Asphalt Paving Operator and related titles

Estimated displacement window

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.