Electricians

AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
5%
risk level
POLLING
21%
Based on 982 votes
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
7.1%
by year 2032
WAGES
$60,240
or $28.96 per hour
Volume
690,050
as of 2022
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
7.7/10

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Automation risk

5% (Minimal Risk)

Minimal Risk (0-20%): Occupations in this category have a low probability of being automated, as they typically demand complex problem-solving, creativity, strong interpersonal skills, and a high degree of manual dexterity. These jobs often involve intricate hand movements and precise coordination, making it difficult for machines to replicate the required tasks.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some very important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Finger Dexterity

  • Manual Dexterity

  • Persuasion

User poll

21% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 5% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Electricians will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph(s) are included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Electricians' job openings is expected to rise 7.1% by 2032

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2023.

Wages

Moderately paid relative to other professions

In 2022, the median annual wage for 'Electricians' was $60,240, or $28 per hour

'Electricians' were paid 30.1% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $46,310

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2022 there were 690,050 people employed as 'Electricians' within the United States.

This represents around 0.47% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 214 people are employed as 'Electricians'.

Job description

Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.

SOC Code: 47-2111.00

Resources

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Comments

Leave a comment

Cindy says
I believe the intricate details in the wiring of the actual building would be too difficult for a machine. Electricians have refined skills that are very difficult to master by just anyone! They go to school for a 5 year apprenticeship. These people are specialized professionals and we need to respect them and their profession!!
Dec 31, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Nathan (No chance) says
I'm a young Electrician. for doing this job, you need to work in any kind of environment. sometimes you need to identify the problem so in order to do so, you will use your hands, body, creativity and of course, knowledge. A.I. will might stand a chance on replacing us if they probably come in a humanoid form xD
Aug 19, 2023 at 03:50 PM
hoj (Moderate) says
Humanoid Robots Cleaning Your House, Serving Your Food and Running Factories

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/humanoid-robots-cleaning-house-serving-204050583.html

This will happen shortly.
Jun 26, 2023 at 10:16 AM
Jason (No chance) says
If you could automate trade work, then the world is pretty much all automated at that point. Think about how complicated this work is. Even though AI could feasibley figure out how to do this type of work, it's still pretty complicated and you would need crazy good robots to perform it. Then let's say you have the complex ai and robotics to do the job. When will that technology become affordable?

Buildings are constructed in a way that are not standardized. Sure some facilities could be engineered in such a way that would make robotics possible to work in, but I think this is a long way off. By the time Electricians are automated most jobs will be automated. I mean robots/Ai could do basic level clerical work before electrical construction/maintenance. I think some parts of this industry will be automated. Maybe running 500 mile lines can be done by some machines, but even so there will still need to be some kind of human supervision.

We're just not there yet. We won't be there for a while. As dumb as most construction jobs seem, they will probably be automated so far out from now that entry level lawyers have more to worry about since chatgbt can probably do basic level legal research. No machine is capable of doing much aside from maybe doing some basic prep work, which that is hardly going to replace an electrician as of now.

If anything it will just speed up jobs and potentially lower the industry, but I really don't see it making a big difference anytime soon.
Jun 20, 2023 at 10:16 PM
Ben (Moderate) says
particularly in the new installation space, I think they will be able to run cables, fit off etc... it will probably be harder in the maintenance area for a machine to make repairs.
Mar 07, 2023 at 12:19 AM
SAY NO TO PROGRAMMING (Low) says
Electricians are essentially a perfect blend of physical & mental work that just isn't easily replaceable as say programming is.
Feb 28, 2023 at 10:32 PM
Kb says
It seems that although certain technologies for robot dexterity are being developed, it will take a while for it to created and then theres the question of adoption speed. Don't get me wrong, if the technology is developed it WILL be adopted, probably just not immediantly.

So I wouldn't worry just yet in regards to the immediate future.

The next 2 decades though, im not sure.
Feb 20, 2023 at 02:23 PM
Benoit (No chance) says
I think the 19% who said electricians could be replaced in the near future have very low knowledge of the complex tasks electricians have to perform. It requires a lot of thinking and makeshift problem solving along with various physical tasks that require dexterity, precision, balance and the ability to position your body in various positions only a human is capable of.
Jan 24, 2023 at 10:55 PM
andy (Moderate) says
As an electrician's apprentice, I can see how pre-fabrication AI could easily steal away the standard rough-in methods during construction. Residential housing can be streamlined easily since big developers are making the same design for 200,000 homes they build. If a standard was set that pre-fab components were to be used and shipped to the location, you wouldn't need people to wire it up.
Mar 21, 2022 at 01:51 AM
Dave (No chance) says
Maybe to assist with pulling wire and conduit bending perhaps. Don't think AI will replace electricians
Oct 05, 2021 at 02:14 AM
Thomas Bach (No chance) says
Not a chance. I’m an industrial electrician working in the automotive industry. I’m taking care of about 100 robots ( I’m responsible for my 3 manufacturing lines ) and there’s no way any robot today can do what we do. Line operators are being replaced by robots but at the same time, there’s a need for more trades. Let’s be honest, somebody has to fix them. I think I’ll be able to retire safely. It will be a major jump in technology before robots can fix other robots in industrial applications.
Sep 19, 2021 at 02:35 PM
allgone says
Really not how AI progress works.

Reading comprehension went from not possible to human-level in a few years.

https://ourworldindata.org/uploads/2022/12/AI-performance_Dynabench-paper-2048x921.png
Jun 26, 2023 at 10:17 AM
Kenneth says
What about AI, and its rapid advancements?
Aug 07, 2023 at 11:00 PM
yo lads (No chance) says
too hard to put a robot on a roof and not fall thru it, not happening anytime soon
Sep 19, 2021 at 05:50 AM
Jake D (No chance) says
Understanding electrical theory and the intricacies associated with it when you’re working in physical environments is way beyond what machines can do. Static electricity accumulates, grounds are needed, and a whole lot of work is put into just insulating and making electricity safe to interact with. As a lineman apprentice, I can’t imagine there’ll be a machine that can process all of that, let alone be physically capable of performing all the tasks associated with electrical work. It’s a pretty interdisciplinary field that requires a lot of critical thinking, a lot of consideration of your environment, and is incredibly dangerous.

Personally, I don’t think you can really assess the ability of this field to be automated unless you understand the actions we take to avoid getting shocked, to avoid breaking things, and the volume of equipment we use. It takes two years in trade school and four years in an apprenticeship to create a qualified electrician and even then, they are always learning. Expecting machines to pick up this work within even forty years, assuming technology keeps progressing linearly, is pretty unlikely.

I hope I’m not jinxing myself here but this does seem pretty stupid. I’m a smart guy and I routinely feel like an idiot on the job because there’s just so much to grasp and handle. Expecting a machine to be able to understand, let alone contextualize, and further implement this information is completely fantastical.
Sep 06, 2021 at 03:57 AM
Kenneth says
Ai and robots are already as of this time starting to replace surgeons. Surgeons go through on average 12-15 years of schooling after highschool. The ai can already diagnose and preform surgeries better...
Aug 07, 2023 at 11:04 PM
Kade (No chance) says
When electricians, plumbers, and HVAC mechanics are automated, no one will have a job.
Aug 16, 2021 at 04:47 PM
Anthony Hallam (Low) says
theirs no way a robot has the dexterity to wire, and it doesn't even have the brain to spot a problem
Jun 04, 2021 at 04:53 PM
Kenneth says
Yet Ai has the dexterity to perform heart and brain surgeries better than human surgeons and the brain to diagnose better than human doctors....
Aug 07, 2023 at 11:06 PM
1 (Low) says
In my opinion, the electrician is too complicated a job for robots, and in addition, the tasks of an electrician sometimes involve repairing robots, motors, or other types of machines. :)
Jan 09, 2021 at 03:09 PM
Sam (No chance) says
Highly dextrous job involving customer interaction, this will not be fully automated for some time.
Jan 02, 2021 at 02:31 PM
frank (No chance) says
nope, no chance its a trade
Aug 09, 2020 at 09:41 PM
anonymous (No chance) says
Electricians make complex decisions unique to individual situations and perform complex motor tasks which would be impossible to practically replicate with a robot. Truly no need to worry about this occupation becoming obsolete.
Jun 08, 2020 at 02:44 AM
Joe (No chance) says
If they can manufacture robots to do complex work and have the mobility to do an electricians work then no one will have a job.
May 14, 2020 at 04:32 AM

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