Electricians

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Low Risk
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Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
8.3/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

27% (Low Risk)

Low Risk (21-40%): This occupation has a lower risk of full replacement by AI, software, or robotic systems. Some tasks may be automated or assisted, but the role usually still relies on human judgement, communication, responsibility, physical adaptability, or practical decision-making.

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

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Coordinating others’ work

Very important
Why this matters
Bringing people together, assigning tasks, and keeping a group aligned so work gets done.
Jobs that also use this strength

Decision-making and problem solving

Very important
Why this matters
Analyze information, weigh tradeoffs, and choose the best solution—especially when situations are ambiguous, high-stakes, or have real-world consequences.
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Thinking creatively

Quite important
Why this matters
Coming up with original ideas and designs—creating new concepts, products, systems, or artistic work. This kind of open-ended invention and taste-based judgment is harder to automate end-to-end than routine, rule-based tasks.
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Persuasion

Quite important
Why this matters
Influencing people to change their minds or behavior through conversation, trust, and negotiation.
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Coaching and developing others

Quite important
Why this matters
Helps people learn and improve through coaching, mentoring, and feedback. This relies on trust, motivation, and adapting guidance to each person—work that’s hard to replace end-to-end with automation.
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Show 3 more strengths

Communicating with people outside the organization

Quite important
Why this matters
Represents the organization to customers, the public, or government—handling questions, concerns, and relationship-building through conversations, writing, calls, or email.
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Consulting and advising others

Quite important
Why this matters
Provide guidance and expert advice to managers or teams on technical, system, or process decisions—explaining options, tradeoffs, and recommended actions.
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Active learning

Quite important
Why this matters
Keeps learning from new information and applying it to make better decisions now and in the future, especially when situations change.
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What users think

Based on 1,322 votes

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 27% 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

Based on user votes over time

View sentiment trend

How opinions have changed over time

Pay & outlook

Wages

Moderately paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Electricians was $62,350 ($30 per hour).

The median annual wage for Electricians was 26.0% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Very fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Electricians' job openings is expected to rise 9.5% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 742,580 people employed as 'Electricians' within the United States.

This represents around 0.48% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 207 people are employed as 'Electricians'.

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What people are saying (44)

Leave a comment
Jidionous D'marcus-Cousins III (Low)
03 Aug 2025 00:21
Seems nearly impossible to replace most trades; Electricians, Plumbers, Ironworkers, etc. due to the combination of physical dexterity and dynamic problem solving. Perhaps AGI + Humanoid robots could, but at that point all other won't be around either.
k.t (No chance)
11 Feb 2026 09:26
An electrician’s skill set is really broad. I can’t imagine that a single robot could install wind turbines at sea, crawl through someone’s attic to lay cables, diagnose electrical problems by taking measurements on various lines, or reach difficult and confined spaces. A good electrician should be able to do all of these things. unless we figure out how to create “alien” technology that can adapt based on the environment.
John (No chance)
17 May 2024 01:12
Totally laughable. If AI is running the trades, which requires a huge amount of creativity and coordination to solve problems as well as dexterity, then jobs will only exist where AI doesn't.
Kade (No chance)
16 Aug 2021 16:47
When electricians, plumbers, and HVAC mechanics are automated, no one will have a job.
Big Peter
30 Mar 2026 17:37
As an electrician in training, clankers will never take this job, as they're made of metal, and metal conducts electricity better than us humans, clankers will get short circuited the moment they even try
Aaron Jeffrey Graham (No chance)
03 Feb 2026 16:17
Well, what do elections do, electrical work? What are robots' electronics eventually that robot will need some work done, so you call an electrician, but you can't because the electrician is broken, that is why we need humans, not atoumation
Kevin (No chance)
12 Mar 2026 04:19
It will be a long time before a machine has the physical ability. I foresee possible machine “assistants” helping in industrial settings with high voltage work possible.
SAY NO TO PROGRAMMING (Low)
28 Feb 2023 22:32
Electricians are essentially a perfect blend of physical & mental work that just isn't easily replaceable as say programming is.
Jesse the electrician
08 Dec 2019 17:20
I agree. Even IF there was a way to replace every aspect of what an electrician does they would still be needed to maintain the machines. The only thing I can see robots replacing is wire pulling. Other than that I’d say I picked a safe industry.
Tom (No chance)
07 Sep 2019 05:17
Electricians will be needed to fix robots
Benoit (No chance)
24 Jan 2023 22:55
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.
Sam (No chance)
02 Jan 2021 14:31
Highly dextrous job involving customer interaction, this will not be fully automated for some time.
frank (No chance)
09 Aug 2020 21:41
nope, no chance its a trade
Anonymous (No chance)
08 Jun 2020 02:44
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.
Joe (No chance)
14 May 2020 04:32
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.
Nate (No chance)
23 Feb 2020 02:44
This job and other trade/construction jobs would require significant AI, and by the time we reach that the singularity will have passed, making the concept of "jobs" as we understand them obsolete.
Kevin (Uncertain)
29 Mar 2022 01:31
Very honest take! Producing humanoids that can do an electrician's job is no issue in my opinion. However, using an AI that can accomplish tasks autonomously will be a far greater challenge.
Jesse ready (No chance)
25 Dec 2019 03:16
I make anywhere from 300 to 1000 decisions per day based on extremely particular job circumstance. I would understand if the number were based on production electrician or one who is employed to troubleshoot the same piece of equipment everyday.
Anonymous (Low)
23 Dec 2019 16:11
In my mind electrician is too complicated work to be taken by robots , moreover electrician duties are sometimes involved with repairing robots ,engines or other kinds of machines. :)
Anonymous (No chance)
08 Dec 2019 17:15
Will be one of the last professions to be automate especially in service. Definitely not an accountant.
john
31 Jul 2019 19:32
make it lowers
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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.

O*NET-SOC code: 47-2111.00