AI exposure: Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
Research, design, develop, or test electronic components and systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use employing knowledge of electronic theory and materials properties. Design electronic circuits and components for use in fields such as telecommunications, aerospace guidance and propulsion control, acoustics, or instruments and controls.
Reading this score
computed43.0% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at the 77th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.8 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 20 tasks it averages 1.90 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 Prepare, review, or maintain maintenance schedules, design documentation, or operational..., at 71.1%. The least is Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, products, or systems to ensure conformance to..., at 15.0%. A gap of 56.1% 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 more exposed than most. The median across the 56 roles in the group is 37.5%, and only 2 of them score higher than this. Occupational families are not uniform, and the spread inside them is often wider than the gap between them.
What would move this score. Of 20 tasks, 15 are currently banded exposed, 3 assisted and 2 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
20 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare, review, or maintain maintenance schedules, design documentation, or operational reports or charts. | 71.1% | 28.9% | 0.0% | 3.26 | exposed |
| Analyze electronics system requirements, capacity, cost, or customer needs to determine project feasibility. | 66.7% | 33.3% | 0.0% | 3.36 | exposed |
| Provide technical support or instruction to staff or customers regarding electronics equipment standards. | 61.3% | 26.2% | 12.5% | 3.69 | exposed |
| 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. | 60.0% | 40.0% | 0.0% | 3.60 | exposed |
| Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform electronics engineering tasks. | 55.0% | 20.0% | 25.0% | 4.05 | exposed |
| Prepare budget or cost estimates for equipment, construction, or installation projects or control expenditures. | 52.5% | 22.5% | 25.0% | 2.90 | exposed |
| Evaluate project work to ensure effectiveness, technical adequacy, or compatibility in the resolution of complex electronics engineering problems. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.96 | exposed |
| Determine project material or equipment needs. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.06 | exposed |
| 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. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.50 | exposed |
| Recommend repair or design modifications of electronics components or systems, based on factors such as environment, service, cost, or system capabilities. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.63 | exposed |
| Investigate green consumer electronics applications for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.41 | exposed |
| Research or develop new green electronics technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, or energy efficient televisions. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.36 | exposed |
| Confer with engineers, customers, vendors, or others to discuss existing or potential electronics engineering projects or products. | 40.0% | 35.0% | 25.0% | 3.73 | exposed |
| 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. | 40.0% | 35.0% | 25.0% | 2.37 | exposed |
| Prepare engineering sketches or specifications for construction, relocation, or installation of equipment, facilities, products, or systems. | 30.0% | 20.0% | 50.0% | 2.93 | exposed |
| Design electronic components, software, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military, or scientific applications. | 23.3% | 26.7% | 50.0% | 4.07 | assisted |
| Plan or develop applications or modifications for electronic properties used in components, products, or systems to improve technical performance. | 23.3% | 26.7% | 50.0% | 3.44 | assisted |
| Direct or coordinate activities concerned with manufacture, construction, installation, maintenance, operation, or modification of electronic equipment, products, or systems. | 20.0% | 30.0% | 50.0% | 3.80 | assisted |
| Develop or perform operational, maintenance, or testing procedures for electronic products, components, equipment, or systems. | 15.0% | 10.0% | 75.0% | 3.43 | untouched |
| Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, products, or systems to ensure conformance to specifications, safety standards, or applicable codes or regulations. | 15.0% | 10.0% | 75.0% | 3.23 | 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 | 2.77 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.70 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.31 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 1.28 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.90 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.73 | 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.