AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Electricians?

Task-level automation exposure for Electricians: 21 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

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Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

26% weighted task index

21 of 21 tasks scored

Median Salary

$63,190 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Very High

757,220 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+9.2% employment change

72,700 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 54 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$37,440 – $101,310

Highest medians

Oregon $101,310

Illinois $99,560

Hawaii $96,460

Washington $95,220

Alaska $89,440

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $37,440

Guam $43,020

Arkansas $49,070

Virgin Islands $51,790

Alabama $55,690

State figures come from the 47-2111 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 26%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 47%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 24%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 4%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 5/100 Low

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

21 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 9%

2 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 14%

3 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 78%

16 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#2882 · Core · 50% automatable

Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.

text generation — Installation diagrams drafted; field accuracy human-owned

Create construction or installation diagrams.

#2888 · Core · 10% automatable

Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.

physical manipulation — Threading wire through conduits is manual

Thread wire or cable through ducts or conduits.

#2887 · Core · 18% automatable

Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.

physical manipulation — Physical repair of electrical equipment

Repair electrical equipment.

#2883 · Core · 28% automatable

Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.

data analysis — Electrical testing requires hands-on instrument use

Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.

#2873 · Core · 18% automatable

Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.

data analysis — Electrical testing requires hands-on instrument use

Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning. Install electrical components, equipment, or systems. Repair electrical equipment.

#2875 · Core · 8% automatable

Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.

physical manipulation — Electrical installation is hands-on licensed trade work

Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.

#2879 · Core · 80% automatable

Maintain current electrician's license or identification card to meet governmental regulations.

information retrieval — AI delivers updates; human must actually learn

Update job related knowledge or skills.

#2880 · Core · 30% automatable

Plan layout and installation of electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, based on job specifications and local codes.

physical manipulation — Site layout requires physical inspection of space

Plan layout of construction, installation, or repairs.

#2881 · Core · 24% automatable

Direct or train workers to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.

physical manipulation — Construction training requires hands-on demonstration and safety

Train construction or extraction personnel. Direct construction or extraction personnel.

#2878 · Core · 28% automatable

Test electrical systems or continuity of circuits in electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using testing devices, such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or oscilloscopes, to ensure compatibility and safety of system.

data analysis — Electrical testing requires hands-on instrument use

Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.

#2874 · Core · 28% automatable

Diagnose malfunctioning systems, apparatus, or components, using test equipment and hand tools to locate the cause of a breakdown and correct the problem.

data analysis — Electrical testing requires hands-on instrument use

Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.

#2876 · Core · 20% automatable

Inspect electrical systems, equipment, or components to identify hazards, defects, or the need for adjustment or repair, and to ensure compliance with codes.

visual inspection — Defect detection in electrical systems needs presence

Inspect electrical or electronic systems for defects.

#2884 · Core · 8% automatable

Install ground leads and connect power cables to equipment, such as motors.

physical manipulation — Electrical installation is hands-on licensed trade work

Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.

#2877 · Core · 42% automatable

Advise management on whether continued operation of equipment could be hazardous.

interpersonal — On-site construction discussion is contextual, physical

Communicate with other construction or extraction personnel to discuss project details.

#2886 · Core · 18% automatable

Repair or replace wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.

physical manipulation — Physical repair of electrical equipment

Repair electrical equipment.

#20439 · Core · 10% automatable

Construct or fabricate parts, using hand tools, according to specifications.

physical manipulation — Part fabrication requires physical machining and handling

Fabricate parts or components.

#2892 · Core · 56% automatable

Provide preliminary sketches or cost estimates for materials or services.

data analysis — Construction cost estimation needs site judgment

Estimate construction project costs. Create construction or installation diagrams.

#2885 · Core · 68% automatable

Perform business management duties, such as maintaining records or files, preparing reports, or ordering supplies or equipment.

text generation — Generate operational reports from structured data

Prepare operational reports. Order construction or extraction materials or equipment.

#2890 · Core · 8% automatable

Fasten small metal or plastic boxes to walls to house electrical switches or outlets.

physical manipulation — Electrical installation is hands-on licensed trade work

Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.

#2891 · Core · 3% automatable

Perform physically demanding tasks, such as digging trenches to lay conduit or moving or lifting heavy objects.

physical manipulation — Manual digging with tools in ground

Dig holes or trenches.

#2893 · Supplemental · 6% automatable

Provide assistance during emergencies by operating floodlights or generators, placing flares, or driving needed vehicles.

physical manipulation — Physical assisting of skilled trades on site

Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.

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Community Sentiment

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Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

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