UK AI Exposure · Associate professional occupations
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 genuinely hard for AI to do. Physical presence, bodily skill, high-context judgment, direct human care - the things that don't translate to text.
If you're in this role, here's what to do now
You're not in the firing line today. But the frontier moves. Build enough AI fluency now that you can direct it for the parts of your work that could benefit. People in unexposed roles who understand AI become unusually valuable inside their organisations.
Most of the routine task inventory in this role can already be done by a capable LLM. That doesn't mean the role disappears - it means the shape changes, and one person can credibly do the work of several.
If you're in this role, here's what to do now
Stop doing anything an LLM can do. Your edge is judgment, relationships, taste, and the parts of the work that require you to be in the room. The operators who notice this first and redesign their workflow around it will be paid for those things; the ones who cling to the old task list will compete against AI at AI's prices.
Where a project with Alex usually starts for this role
These are the highest-importance tasks a language model can already handle directly today. In a typical engagement the first wins come from building workflows around these, so they stop eating your 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Review existing electrical engineering criteria to identify necessary revisions, deletions, or amendments to outdated material.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 highest-importance tasks AI can already handle when paired with the right tools and context. In a typical engagement the first wins come from building workflows around these — usually the difference between an LLM that can technically 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 wedges like these. Finding them takes an hour. Turning them into a workflow your team actually uses takes a few days. Talk to Alex about a project →
The full task breakdown
Every O*NET task for this occupation, split by what AI can already do unaided versus what still needs a human. Importance is O*NET's 1–5 rating of how central each task is to the role.
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.
Where humans still hold the line
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.
Where humans still hold the line
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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Methodology
This role's exposure score comes from Eloundou et al's 2023 GPT task labels, aggregated by O*NET importance within each O*NET-SOC code, then bridged to UK SOC 2020 via ISCO-08 (ONS Vol 2 coding index) and US SOC 2010 (BLS crosswalk). Employment and median pay come from ONS ASHE Table 14.7a, 2025 provisional. ASHE covers employees only, so self-employed workers are not counted.
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