Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians assemble electrical and electronic systems and prototypes, build, calibrate and repair instruments and test equipment, create basic circuitry and draft sketches under engineers' direction, inspect designs for quality control, adjust and replace defective circuitry and components, and draw diagrams and write specifications for experimental units.
The short answer: low exposure, with slow growth. The ILO's 2025 index rates electrical engineering technicians as not exposed, with a score of 0.27, and electronics engineering technicians in its minimal exposure band, at 0.38. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, slower than average, with about 8,100 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed electrical engineering technicians are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering Technicians | Not exposed | 0.27 |
| Electronics Engineering Technicians | Minimal exposure | 0.38 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | Grow 2% | About 8,100 |
The BLS says these workers work closely with electrical, electronics and computer hardware engineers, and are needed to support the continuing integration of computer and electronics systems, such as those in automobiles and in portable and household products. However, it says growth could be limited as more of their manual tasks are automated.
What automation is taking on
- Manual tasks in this occupation, which the BLS says are being automated.
- Drafting diagrams and specifications from design data.
- Logging test and calibration results.
What stays with electrical engineering technicians
- Prototypes: building and assembling systems from plans and sketches.
- Repair: finding and replacing defective circuitry and components.
- Quality: inspecting designs, reporting findings and recommending changes.
- Checking AI help: generated circuit sketches and specifications can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Electronics keep spreading into cars and household products, according to the BLS, while automation takes over more manual work. Most openings come from replacing workers who leave. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace computer hardware engineers?, will AI replace electro-mechanical technicians? and will AI replace semiconductor technicians?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for electrical and electronics engineering technicians at $78,190 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: associate's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace electrical engineering technicians?
The BLS projects 2 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,100 openings a year, and says automation of manual tasks could limit growth.
How exposed are electrical engineering technicians to AI?
The ILO rates electrical engineering technicians as not exposed at 0.27 and electronics engineering technicians as minimal exposure at 0.38.
What drives demand?
The BLS points to the continuing integration of computer and electronics systems in products such as cars and household goods.
What do electrical engineering technicians do?
They build prototypes, calibrate and repair test equipment, create basic circuitry, replace defective components and inspect designs.