Electrical
and electronics technicians
Electrical and electronics technicians perform a variety of miscellaneous technical support functions to assist with the design, development, installation, operation and maintenance of electrical and electronic systems.
- Employees (UK)
- 16k
- Median annual pay
- £35,018
- Exposure score ?
- 1.9/10 Minimal 6.0/10 High strict reading, with tools is 6.0/10 with-tools reading, strict is 1.9/10
- Wage exposure
- £106m £336m
Higher exposure than 80% of the 379 UK occupations we scored.
What this score means.
Most of this role's work is still hard for AI: physical presence, practised skill, judgement in context and direct care, the things that do not turn into text.
If you are in this role
Nothing here is under pressure today, but the frontier moves. Learn enough to direct AI at the paperwork around the job. People in hands-on roles who can do that become unusually useful inside their organisations.
Most of the routine work in this role can already be done by a capable model. The role does not disappear, but its shape changes, and one person can credibly cover the work of several.
If you are in this role
Stop spending time on what a model can do well. Your value is judgement, relationships and the parts of the work that need you in the room. Redesign the workflow around that before someone else does it for you.
Where the work usually starts.
These are the most important tasks a language model can already handle directly. In a typical engagement the first wins come from building workflows around them, so they stop eating the team's time.
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Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems.
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Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.
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Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.
These are the most important tasks AI can already handle when paired with the right tools and context. The first wins usually come from building workflows around them. That is the difference between a model that could do the job and one that actually does it inside your business.
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Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
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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.
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Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
Every role has three or four places like these. Finding them takes an hour. Turning them into a workflow your team actually uses takes a few days.
Every task in the role.
Every O*NET task for this occupation, split by what AI can do unaided and what still needs a person. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central each task is.
Tasks via O*NET "Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians" (17-3023.00).
What AI can already do
6 of 30 tasks, unaided
Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems.
Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.
Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.
Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.
Integrate software or hardware components, using computer, microprocessor, or control architecture.
Review, develop, or prepare maintenance standards.
What still needs a person
24 of 30 tasks
Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments.
Set up and operate specialized or standard test equipment to diagnose, test, or analyze the performance of electronic components, assemblies, or systems.
Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.
Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts.
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.
Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments.
Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
Select electronics equipment, components, or systems to meet functional specifications.
Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.
Educate equipment operators on the proper use of equipment.
Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems.
Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations.
Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.
Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances.
Research equipment or component needs, sources, competitive prices, delivery times, or ongoing operational costs.
Provide user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades, or enhancements.
Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures.
Produce electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control, instrumentation, sensors, or analog or digital telecommunications networks, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable or nonsustainable designs.
Construct and evaluate electrical components for consumer electronics applications such as fuel cells for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers.
Participate in the development or testing of electrical aspects of new green technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, and energy efficient televisions.
Tasks via O*NET "Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians" (17-3023.00).
What AI can already do
19 of 30 tasks, with tools
Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, or engineering instructions for assembling electronics units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
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.
Review electrical engineering plans to ensure adherence to design specifications and compliance with applicable electrical codes and standards.
Interpret test information to resolve design-related problems.
Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.
Maintain system logs or manuals to document testing or operation of equipment.
Select electronics equipment, components, or systems to meet functional specifications.
Calculate design specifications or cost, material, and resource estimates, and prepare project schedules and budgets.
Compile and maintain records documenting engineering schematics, installed equipment, installation or operational problems, resources used, repairs, or corrective action performed.
Integrate software or hardware components, using computer, microprocessor, or control architecture.
Procure parts and maintain inventory and related documentation.
Participate in training or continuing education activities to stay abreast of engineering or industry advances.
Research equipment or component needs, sources, competitive prices, delivery times, or ongoing operational costs.
Provide user applications or engineering support or recommendations for new or existing equipment with regard to installation, upgrades, or enhancements.
Specify, coordinate, or conduct quality control or quality assurance programs or procedures.
Produce electronics drawings or other graphics representing industrial control, instrumentation, sensors, or analog or digital telecommunications networks, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Review, develop, or prepare maintenance standards.
Conduct statistical studies to analyze or compare production costs for sustainable or nonsustainable designs.
Participate in the development or testing of electrical aspects of new green technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, and energy efficient televisions.
What still needs a person
11 of 30 tasks
Modify, maintain, or repair electronics equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Replace defective components or parts, using hand tools and precision instruments.
Set up and operate specialized or standard test equipment to diagnose, test, or analyze the performance of electronic components, assemblies, or systems.
Install or maintain electrical control systems, industrial automation systems, or electrical equipment, including control circuits, variable speed drives, or programmable logic controllers.
Identify and resolve equipment malfunctions, working with manufacturers or field representatives as necessary to procure replacement parts.
Assemble electrical systems or prototypes, using hand tools or measuring instruments.
Assemble, test, or maintain circuitry or electronic components, according to engineering instructions, technical manuals, or knowledge of electronics, using hand or power tools.
Educate equipment operators on the proper use of equipment.
Supervise the installation or operation of electronic equipment or systems.
Modify electrical prototypes, parts, assemblies, or systems to correct functional deviations.
Construct and evaluate electrical components for consumer electronics applications such as fuel cells for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers.
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Related occupations.
Other roles in Associate professional occupations, and roles close by exposure.
What it means for your sector.
This role's score comes from Eloundou et al's 2023 task labels, weighted by O*NET importance within each O*NET-SOC code, then bridged to UK SOC 2020 through ISCO-08 (the ONS coding index) and US SOC 2010 (the BLS crosswalk). Employment and median pay come from ONS ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional, which covers employees only.
Back to the mapMethodologySources (PDF)Built 29 April 2026
Pictures
- "Census pantograph and 1930s keypunches" by U.S. Census Bureau employees, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- "Shepard Barclay, St. Louis lawyer, in his office" by Missouri Historical Society via DPLA, no known copyright restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons
- "Accountant's Office LCCN2016824374" by National Photo Company Collection, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- "Employment service in Oulu in the spring 1931" by Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons