US dataswitch to UK
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
modifying, maintaining, assembling, testing and reviewing existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions. If that's your week, this page is about your job.
The honest answer
AI is already taking a real slice of the routine work here: calculating design specifications or cost. That is a slice of tasks, not of you.
That slice is not coming back; the core of the job, modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning, stays yours. The tools change, the responsibility doesn't.
Your week, as this page understands it
Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery for subsequent evaluation and use by engineering staff in making engineering design decisions. The job title says “electrical”, “electronic engineering technologists” or “technicians”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning. That is the thing someone has to be right about.
The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is not one task. It is 30 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning, and the ledger below shows exactly why.
Where the work sits, by task weight
- shifting to AI
- 21%
- changing shape
- 23%
- staying human
- 56%
These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.
Whole-job exposure score 33 out of 100 (29–39 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 30 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.
How we know this
What is measured: Every published task statement for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.
How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.
Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.
Your job, task by task
These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.
- 1 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Shifting to AI
7 tasksTasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.
Calculating design specifications or cost
This is reading one thing and writing another: design specifications in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Costing, scheduling and budgeting are calculations and documents that software produces quickly from the inputs.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Compiling and maintaining records documenting engineering schematics
This is reading one thing and writing another: records documenting engineering schematics in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Compiling records of equipment, repairs and corrective action is documentation software assembles from existing data.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Maintaining system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment
This is reading one thing and writing another: system logs in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping logs and manuals up to date is straightforward writing from information already recorded digitally.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions
This is reading one thing and writing another: electrical engineering criteria in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (62–70 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reviewing written engineering criteria for outdated material is document work software drafts well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Changing shape
7 tasksTasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.
Reading blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units
The software now makes the first pass at blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings or engineering instructions, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Software reads drawings and instructions reasonably well, but a technician still checks them against the real build.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards
The software now makes the first pass at electrical engineering plans, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 50 out of 100 (43–57 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Checking plans against written codes is desk work software handles in part, with an engineer confirming the result.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Selecting electronics equipment, components or systems to meet functional specifications
The software now makes the first pass at electronics equipment, components or systems, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Select electronics equipment, components, or systems to meet functional specifications.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 58 out of 100 (51–65 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Component datasheets are well documented, but matching them to a real installation still needs technician judgment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Staying human
16 tasksTasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.
Modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning
This work happens in the physical world: electronics equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fixing electronics means hands on the actual equipment, so software can suggest steps but cannot do the work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Setting up and operating specialized or standard test equipment
This work happens in the physical world: and operating specialized or standard test equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Set up and operate specialized or standard test equipment to diagnose, test, or analyze the performance of electronic components, assemblies, or systems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (3–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Test gear has to be physically connected and run, though software helps plan tests and read the results.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Replacing defective components or parts
This work happens in the physical world: defective components, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Swapping out faulty parts with hand tools is done by a person at the bench.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Show the other 20 tasks
Conducting statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable or nonsustainable designs
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: statistical studies in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance not publishedO*NET hasn't yet published importance ratings for this occupation's tasks, so the ordering here is ours, not theirs.
Source: “Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable or nonsustainable designs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Statistical comparison of production costs is analysis software does well when the cost data is available.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing, developing or preparing maintenance standards
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: maintenance standards in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance not publishedO*NET hasn't yet published importance ratings for this occupation's tasks, so the ordering here is ours, not theirs.
Source: “Review, develop, or prepare maintenance standards.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Maintenance standards are written documents that software drafts well from existing procedures and manuals.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Researching equipment or component needs
shifting to AIThis is reading one thing and writing another: equipment in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Research equipment or component needs, sources, competitive prices, delivery times, or ongoing operational costs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 68 out of 100 (61–75 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Researching sources, prices and lead times is search and comparison work, though live supplier quotes still matter.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Producing electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control
changing shapeThe software now makes the first pass at electronics drawings, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Produce electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control, instrumentation, sensors, or analog or digital telecommunications networks, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 58 out of 100 (51–65 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Drawing tools produce parts of a schematic, though a technician still lays out and verifies the finished drawing.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Interpreting test information to resolve design-related problems
changing shapeThe software now makes the first pass at test information, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 58 out of 100 (51–65 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Linking test results back to a design flaw takes engineering understanding of the product.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Procuring parts and maintaining inventory and related documentation
changing shapeThe software now makes the first pass at parts, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Ordering parts and keeping inventory records is routine admin, with occasional stock checks in the store.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Designing or modifying engineering schematics for electrical transmission and distribution systems or for electrical installation in residential
changing shapeThe software now makes the first pass at schematics, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Design or modify engineering schematics for electrical transmission and distribution systems or for electrical installation in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 50 out of 100 (43–57 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Design software helps produce schematics, but an engineer checks the result against the real installation.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard
staying humanThe ratings behind this row put user applications well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Provide user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades, or enhancements.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 37 out of 100 (30–44 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Support recommendations draw on documented equipment knowledge, but the specific site and user needs shape the answer.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Integrating software or hardware components
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: software, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Integrate software or hardware components, using computer, microprocessor, or control architecture.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 29 out of 100 (22–36 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Software side can be largely automated, but wiring hardware into a control setup needs hands on the kit.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Participating in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances
staying humanThe ratings behind this row put training well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 26 out of 100 (19–33 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over.
The rating behind it: Software can summarize industry developments, but the point is the technician building their own current knowledge.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Specifying, coordinating or conducting quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: quality control, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 24 out of 100 (17–31 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Quality procedures can be drafted from standards, but running checks on the floor needs someone present.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Participating in the development or testing of electrical aspects of new green technologies
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: the development, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance not publishedO*NET hasn't yet published importance ratings for this occupation's tasks, so the ordering here is ours, not theirs.
Source: “Participate in the development or testing of electrical aspects of new green technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, and energy efficient televisions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 16 out of 100 (9–23 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Developing and testing new hardware means working with real prototypes as well as documents.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Identifying and resolving equipment malfunctions
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: equipment malfunctions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Tracking down a fault usually needs the equipment in front of you, though parts ordering is routine paperwork.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Educating equipment operators on the proper use of equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: equipment operators, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Educate equipment operators on the proper use of equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Showing operators how to use equipment works best in person, standing at the machine with them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Constructing and evaluating electrical components for consumer electronics applications
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: electrical components, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance not publishedO*NET hasn't yet published importance ratings for this occupation's tasks, so the ordering here is ours, not theirs.
Source: “Construct and evaluate electrical components for consumer electronics applications such as fuel cells for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Building components to try out is physical work, even though the evaluation write-up is not.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Supervising the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: the installation, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 3 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Supervising an installation means being on site watching the work happen.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Assembling electrical systems or prototypes
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: electrical systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Building systems and prototypes by hand is physical assembly work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Assembling, testing or maintaining circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals or knowledge of electronics
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: circuitry, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Assembling and maintaining circuitry with tools happens at the bench, not on a screen.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Modifying electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies or systems to correct functional deviations
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies or systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · CoreSource: “Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Correcting a prototype means physically altering it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Installing or maintaining electrical control systems
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: electrical control systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Installing and maintaining control systems and electrical equipment is hands-on work in the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
What this job pays, and how many people do it
- Median pay
- $78,190a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
- People doing this job
- 95,130in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.
Why this is shifting
The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: design specifications in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: calculating design specifications or cost and compiling and maintaining records documenting engineering schematics. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where electronics equipment gets done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.
Your move
Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend
Your week is splitting in two, and which half fills it is the whole question. Calculating design specifications or cost is going; modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning is not.
So, given all that: 21% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 23% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 56% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 30 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.
The occupation is an average and you are not, so the first job below is finding out where your own week actually sits.
This week: one thing
Print the task ledger above and put your own hours next to each row. Roughly, in pen, in one sitting. Then look at which group your hours actually pile up in. Twenty minutes, this week.
- What you end up holding
- your own week, on one page, sorted into what is shifting and what is not
- How long it takes
- about twenty minutes
If printing it isn’t practical: Read the rows off this page and write the same list on the back of an envelope. Same twenty minutes, same page, and it works just as well said out loud to someone who knows the job. The point is your hours next to the rows, not the paper it is on.
Over the next 90 days
Volunteer toward the durable end, visibly. Over the next ninety days put your hand up for the work in the bottom group (modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning) and let people see you doing it. Not a new project: the same job, with your mix deliberately tilted. The point is that when the rota or the reorganisation comes, the version of you people picture is the one doing the part that stays.
Over the next 12 months
Claim a specialism at the durable end and let the other end go. Over a year, deliberately become the person who handles modifying, maintaining or repairing electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning, and deliberately stop being the first choice for the rows in the top group. That trade costs something, because the exposed work is often the comfortable work. Decide it on purpose rather than by drift. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.
The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them
I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.
I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians: only about 8% of its durable work is work you already do and there are far fewer of those jobs than of yours. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 33/100 here, with only 21% of the task list in the top band, and “modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.
How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.
3 moves I checked and rejected
These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning, and their equivalent is to modify, maintain, or repair electrical, electronic, or mechanical components, equipment, or systems to…. Across both published task lists that is about 8% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 8% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 15,520 of those jobs against 95,130 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 16% as many seats.
Avionics Technicians
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments, and their equivalent is to assemble prototypes or models of circuits, instruments, and systems for use in testing. Across both published task lists that is about 8% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 8% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 18,830 of those jobs against 95,130 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 20% as many seats.
Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments, and their equivalent is to repair, adjust, or replace electrical or mechanical components or parts, using hand tools…. Across both published task lists that is about 7% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 7% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $47,810 against your $78,190, 38.9% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
What I’d stop worrying about
A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.
The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 21% of its task weight, across 30 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The whole-job doom story
Nothing on this page says this job ends. It says the mix inside it moves. Half the rows above are unchanged or changing shape, and the plan is about which half your week sits in. That is a very different problem, and a solvable one.
Panic-buying a course
Do the twenty-minute sorting exercise first. Most people who buy a course before they have done it buy the wrong one, and the free services listed below will tell you the same thing without charging for it.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.
You are reading the United States figures
The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Electrical and electronics technicians is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.
Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match
The other groups this work is counted across:
In UK official statistics this job is counted as Electrical and electronics technicians, Communication operators and Telecoms and related network installers and repairers. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.
Your route through this
Where to go next, and what it costs
Free, and complete
The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
Free
No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it
Nothing Collab365 runs is built for electrical / electronic engineering technologists / technicians, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.
There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 21% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.
7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.
The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for electrical / electronic engineering technologists / technicians. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.
Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for electrical / electronic engineering technologists / technicians launches. Nothing else.
That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.
We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.
No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.
Questions people ask about this job
- Will AI replace Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians?
- Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 30 official task statements scored for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (United States, SOC 17-3023), 21% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 33 out of 100 (range 29–39, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
- Which tasks in “Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians” can AI already do?
- The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment” (75/100, high); “Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets” (75/100, high); “Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corre…” (75/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
- Which tasks in “Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians” stay human?
- About 56% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or…” (0/100, minimal); “Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations” (0/100, minimal); “Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using…” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
- What should someone working in “Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians” do about AI?
- Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 21% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 56% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
- How is the AI exposure score for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians calculated?
- Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 30 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.
Where these numbers come from
Worth knowing about these figures
- The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
- 1 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
- Task statements
- onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
- Task weights
- onet-db (im-rt-with-imputed)
- Scores
- Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
- Pay and employment
- bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))
Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.
The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.
The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.
Using these figures?
Cite this
Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.
Plain text
Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).
BibTeX
@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
title = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
author = {{Collab365}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
note = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.