AI exposure: Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
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.
Reading this score
computed36.5% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians at the 64th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.4 out of 4 on what a current system can produce, and the frictions that hold other jobs in place are comparatively weak here.
What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 28 tasks it averages 1.80 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.
The most exposed thing this job does is Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment, at 73.3%. The least is Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, at 0.0%. A gap of 73.3% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within architecture and engineering occupations, this one is less exposed than the median of 37.5% across the group's 56 roles, with 33 scoring higher. Being in an exposed family does not make a particular job exposed, and the reverse holds too.
What would move this score. Of 28 tasks, 18 are currently banded exposed, 3 assisted and 7 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take cheaper ways to verify output, since the cost of checking is currently doing more to hold this work in place than the cost of producing it. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Task by task
28 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.98 | exposed |
| Provide user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades, or enhancements. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.18 | exposed |
| Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed. | 66.7% | 33.3% | 0.0% | 3.86 | exposed |
| Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable or nonsustainable designs. | 66.7% | 33.3% | 0.0% | 2.80 | exposed |
| Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances. | 65.0% | 10.0% | 25.0% | 3.56 | exposed |
| Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation. | 61.3% | 26.2% | 12.5% | 3.90 | exposed |
| Integrate software or hardware components, using computer, microprocessor, or control architecture. | 55.0% | 20.0% | 25.0% | 3.62 | exposed |
| Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets. | 51.7% | 23.3% | 25.0% | 3.73 | exposed |
| Select electronics equipment, components, or systems to meet functional specifications. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.70 | exposed |
| Review, develop, or prepare maintenance standards. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.67 | exposed |
| Research equipment or component needs, sources, competitive prices, delivery times, or ongoing operational costs. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.45 | exposed |
| Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.23 | exposed |
| Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.17 | exposed |
| Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.45 | exposed |
| Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.46 | exposed |
| Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts. | 31.2% | 31.2% | 37.5% | 3.80 | assisted |
| Produce electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control, instrumentation, sensors, or analog or digital telecommunications networks, using computer-aided design (CAD) software. | 30.0% | 20.0% | 50.0% | 3.90 | exposed |
| 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. | 30.0% | 20.0% | 50.0% | 3.73 | exposed |
| Educate equipment operators on the proper use of equipment. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.72 | exposed |
| Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures. | 20.0% | 30.0% | 50.0% | 4.11 | assisted |
| Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations. | 20.0% | 30.0% | 50.0% | 3.50 | assisted |
| Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 3.97 | untouched |
| Replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 3.64 | untouched |
| Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems. | 12.5% | 25.0% | 62.5% | 3.79 | untouched |
| Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools. | 8.5% | 8.2% | 83.3% | 4.02 | untouched |
| Set up and operate specialized or standard test equipment to diagnose, test, or analyze the performance of electronic components, assemblies, or systems. | 8.3% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 3.76 | untouched |
| Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers. | 6.7% | 5.8% | 87.5% | 4.34 | untouched |
| Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.55 | untouched |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 2.42 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.95 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.43 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 1.30 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.80 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.59 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.