Verdict
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines is the safer bet: it scores 10/100 against 14/100 for Automotive Body and Related Repairers — 4 points less exposed to AI.
Installation & Repair
14 /100
Hands-on metalwork, paint matching, and frame straightening resist AI — only the estimate paperwork is automatable.
Full risk profile →Installation & Repair
10 /100
Cranes, bulldozers, and hydraulic excavators demand physical expertise and safety accountability that AI cannot replicate.
Full risk profile →| Metric | Automotive Body and Related Repairers | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines |
|---|---|---|
| AI Fear Score | 14/100 | 10/100 |
| Risk band | Resilient | Resilient |
| Automation probability | 14% | 10% |
| LLM task exposure | 14% | 10% |
| Median pay (BLS) | $51,680 | $63,980 |
| US workers | 155,220 | 180,270 |
| Timeline | AI can streamline estimates and parts lookup now, but the core metal-and-paint craft stays hands-on for at least 15 years. | The physical complexity and safety stakes of heavy mobile equipment make full-scale AI encroachment unlikely before 2040; telematics will aid diagnosis but not replace the hands. |
For long-tail occupations the two research anchors share a single AI-reviewed exposure estimate — see the methodology.
The usual pivots that reuse your experience while cutting exposure: Auto body shop supervisor, Insurance damage appraiser, Specialty vehicle restoration technician. See the full plan →
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines is safer. It scores 10/100 vs 14/100 — Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines keeps more tasks that need hands-on work, judgment or personal trust, while more of Automotive Body and Related Repairers's core tasks are automatable.
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines pays more at the median: $63,980 vs $51,680 (BLS May 2024).
Scores are estimates, not predictions — two research anchors applied to task mixes, with BLS May-2024 wages and employment. Not career advice.