AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Electronics Engineers, Except Computer?

Task-level automation exposure for Electronics Engineers, Except Computer: 20 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

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Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

54% weighted task index

20 of 20 tasks scored

Median Salary

$130,220 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Medium

96,900 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+3.7% employment change

4,900 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 51 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$81,330 – $160,520

Highest medians

California $160,520

New Jersey $158,730

District of Columbia $157,040

Maryland $155,650

Massachusetts $138,230

Lowest medians

Iowa $81,330

Puerto Rico $81,790

South Dakota $84,150

Vermont $86,180

Nebraska $91,140

State figures come from the 17-2072 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 54%

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

Physical work 0%

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

Judgment & influence 47%

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

Routine administration 11%

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 8/100 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

20 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) 47%

9 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 36%

8 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 17%

3 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

#5339 · Core · 50% automatable

Design electronic components, software, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military, or scientific applications.

decision support — AI drafts electronics; engineer validates and tests

Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.

#20497 · Core · 35% automatable

Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform electronics engineering tasks.

physical manipulation — Operating systems requires hands-on interaction

Operate computer systems.

#20494 · Core · 60% automatable

Evaluate project work to ensure effectiveness, technical adequacy, or compatibility in the resolution of complex electronics engineering problems.

data analysis — Equipment specs analysis aided; physical testing human

Evaluate characteristics of equipment or systems.

#5349 · Core · 28% automatable

Direct or coordinate activities concerned with manufacture, construction, installation, maintenance, operation, or modification of electronic equipment, products, or systems.

interpersonal — Industrial production direction is human supervisory control

Direct industrial production activities.

#20496 · Core · 56% automatable

Confer with engineers, customers, vendors, or others to discuss existing or potential electronics engineering projects or products.

text generation — Technical communication drafting well-supported

Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans. Discuss designs or plans with clients. Communicate technical information to suppliers, contractors, or regulatory agencies.

#20499 · Core · 68% automatable

Provide technical support or instruction to staff or customers regarding electronics equipment standards.

information retrieval — Product-use advice is largely informational with review

Advise customers on the use of products or services. Provide technical guidance to other personnel.

#20498 · Core · 68% automatable

Recommend repair or design modifications of electronics components or systems, based on factors such as environment, service, cost, or system capabilities.

decision support — Proposes design changes; human validates feasibility

Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.

#5348 · Core · 82% automatable

Prepare documentation containing information such as confidential descriptions or specifications of proprietary hardware or software, product development or introduction schedules, product costs, or information about product performance weaknesses.

text generation — Draft technical design docs from provided details

Document technical design details.

#5350 · Core · 30% automatable

Develop or perform operational, maintenance, or testing procedures for electronic products, components, equipment, or systems.

physical manipulation — Functional product testing is hands-on

Test products for functionality or quality.

#20495 · Core · 68% automatable

Analyze electronics system requirements, capacity, cost, or customer needs to determine project feasibility.

data analysis — Analyzes design requirements; human architects system

Analyze design requirements for computer or electronics systems.

#5354 · Core · 78% automatable

Prepare, review, or maintain maintenance schedules, design documentation, or operational reports or charts.

text generation — Draft technical design docs from provided details

Schedule operational activities. Document technical design details. Prepare operational reports.

#5346 · Core · 25% automatable

Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, products, or systems to ensure conformance to specifications, safety standards, or applicable codes or regulations.

visual inspection — Flaw location on physical products needs presence

Inspect finished products to locate flaws.

#20493 · Core · 68% automatable

Determine project material or equipment needs.

data analysis — Estimates from specs; human validates assumptions and risk

Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.

#5355 · Supplemental · 65% automatable

Prepare necessary criteria, procedures, reports, or plans for successful conduct of the project with consideration given to site preparation, facility validation, installation, quality assurance, or testing.

decision support — Operational criteria drafted; human decides

Determine operational criteria or specifications.

#5351 · Supplemental · 50% automatable

Plan or develop applications or modifications for electronic properties used in components, products, or systems to improve technical performance.

decision support — AI drafts electronics; engineer validates and tests

Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.

#5352 · Supplemental · 42% automatable

Prepare engineering sketches or specifications for construction, relocation, or installation of equipment, facilities, products, or systems.

text generation — Electronics schematics need expert verification and standards

Create schematic drawings for electronics.

#20500 · Supplemental · 65% automatable

Prepare budget or cost estimates for equipment, construction, or installation projects or control expenditures.

data analysis — Operational cost estimation from data

Estimate operational costs. Prepare project budgets.

#19621 · Supplemental · 45% automatable

Investigate green consumer electronics applications for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers.

information retrieval — Green tech literature aided; engineering validation human

Research design or application of green technologies.

#5357 · Supplemental · 55% automatable

Represent employer at conferences, meetings, boards, panels, committees, or working groups to present, explain, or defend findings or recommendations, negotiate compromises or agreements, or exchange information.

text generation — Explanatory content drafted; public engagement human

Explain project details to the general public.

#19623 · Supplemental · 45% automatable

Research or develop new green electronics technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, or energy efficient televisions.

information retrieval — Green tech literature aided; engineering validation human

Research design or application of green technologies.

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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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