Electrical power-line installers and repairers
SOC Code: 49-9051
Electrical power-line installers and repairers carries a 18% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $92,560 and +6.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 127,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 18% AI exposure, Electrical power-line installers and repairers sits 19 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 4% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
88/100
Electrical power-line installers and repairers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A- $92,560
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +6.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 18% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Electrical power-line installers and repairers in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Electrical power-line installers and repairers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Electrical power-line installers and repairers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Electrical power-line installers and repairers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
18% Among the lowest lower than 96% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Electrical power-line installers and repairers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Electrical power-line installers and repairers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Electrical power-line installers and repairers's Low automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 49-9051) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Electrical power-line installers and repairers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Electrical power-line installers and repairers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Electrical power-line installers and repairers is a recognized registered apprenticeship occupation under the DOL RAPIDS system. Earn while you train, apprentices typically start at ~$16/hr and reach $28–$46/hr upon completion, depending on the specific trade and region.
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
- 2. Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
- 3. Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
- 4. Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
- 5. Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
- 6. Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
- 7. Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
- 8. Replace or straighten damaged poles.
- 9. String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.
- 10. Attach cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Troubleshooting
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
- Repairing
- Quality Control Analysis
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Electrical power-line installers and repairers?
Electrical power-line installers and repairers has an AI exposure score of 18%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Electrical power-line installers and repairers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Electrical power-line installers and repairers is projected to grow by 6.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 127,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Electrical power-line installers and repairers?
Key skills for Electrical power-line installers and repairers include Active Listening, Troubleshooting, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Electrical power-line installers and repairers earn?
The median annual wage for Electrical power-line installers and repairers is $92,560, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Electrical power-line installers and repairers?
The typical entry-level education for Electrical power-line installers and repairers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Electrical power-line installers and repairers?
Electrical power-line installers and repairers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Electrical power-line installers and repairers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (18% here).
- Engine and other machine assemblers · AI exposure 18%
- Glaziers · AI exposure 18%
- Healthcare social workers · AI exposure 18%
- Mechanical door repairers · AI exposure 18%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+6.6% here).
- Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers · growth +6.6%
- Marketing managers · growth +6.6%
- Financial risk specialists · growth +6.5%
- Food scientists and technologists · growth +6.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 10 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Electrical power-line installers and repairers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Electrical power-line installers and repairers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).