Electricians
SOC Code: 47-2111
Electricians carries a 13% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $62,350 and +9.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 818,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 13% AI exposure, Electricians sits 24 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 1% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
82/100
Electricians, 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 C $62,350
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +9.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 13% 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 Electricians in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Electricians keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Fast growth (67 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Electricians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Electricians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
13% Among the lowest lower than 99% 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.
Electricians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Electricians 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
Electricians'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 47-2111) 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 Electricians 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 Electricians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Electricians 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. Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.
- 2. Place conduit, pipes, or tubing, inside designated partitions, walls, or other concealed areas, and pull insulated wires or cables through the conduit to complete circuits between boxes.
- 3. Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- 4. Use a variety of tools or equipment, such as power construction equipment, measuring devices, power tools, and testing equipment, such as oscilloscopes, ammeters, or test lamps.
- 5. Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.
- 6. Connect wires to circuit breakers, transformers, or other components.
- 7. Maintain current electrician's license or identification card to meet governmental regulations.
- 8. Plan layout and installation of electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, based on job specifications and local codes.
- 9. Direct or train workers to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.
- 10. Test electrical systems or continuity of circuits in electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using testing devices, such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or oscilloscopes, to ensure compatibility and safety of system.
Key Skills Required
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Installation
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge Areas
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Design
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- Psychology
- English Language
- Production and Processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Electricians?
Electricians has an AI exposure score of 13%, 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 Electricians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Electricians is projected to grow by 9.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 818,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Electricians?
Key skills for Electricians include Troubleshooting, Repairing, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Electricians earn?
The median annual wage for Electricians is $62,350, 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 Electricians?
The typical entry-level education for Electricians is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Apprenticeship. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Electricians?
Electricians 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 Electricians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (13% here).
- Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians · AI exposure 13%
- Pediatricians, general · AI exposure 13%
- Aircraft mechanics and service technicians · AI exposure 13%
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers · AI exposure 14%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+9.5% here).
- Audiologists · growth +9.5%
- Chiropractors · growth +9.5%
- Exercise physiologists · growth +9.5%
- Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles · growth +9.5%
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 11 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Electricians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Electricians 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).