Electrical Engineers
Research, design, develop, test, or supervise the manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment, components, or systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use.
198,750 people do this job in the US. $120,630 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 75%
- 7%
- 17%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 2%. Today's estimate: 3%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 22 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design, implement, maintain, or improve electrical instruments, equipment, facilities, components, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, or domestic purposes.Done daily by most who do it. | 11% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.5 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Develop software to control electrical systems.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 11% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 1.2 work months | 0%Half by Jul 2029 | |
| Prepare technical drawings, specifications of electrical systems, or topographical maps to ensure that installation and operations conform to standards and customer requirements.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.3 work weeks | 2%Half by Jun 2028 | |
| Oversee project production efforts to assure projects are completed on time and within budget.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Compile data and write reports regarding existing or potential electrical engineering studies or projects.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 8% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.3 work weeks | 2%Half by May 2028 | |
| Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform engineering tasks.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 7% | 3.3 h25 min to 1.7 work days | 13%Half by Nov 2027 | |
| Develop systems that produce electricity with renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or biofuels.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 work weeks1.7 work days to 1.5 work months | 0%Half by Aug 2029 | |
| Direct or coordinate manufacturing, construction, installation, maintenance, support, documentation, or testing activities to ensure compliance with specifications, codes, or customer requirements.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Integrate electrical systems with renewable energy systems to improve overall efficiency.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 work weeks6.7 h to 1.5 work months | 0%Half by Feb 2030 | |
| Inspect completed installations and observe operations to ensure conformance to design and equipment specifications and compliance with operational, safety, or environmental standards.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | Stays with people | |
| Investigate or test vendors' or competitors' products.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 1.3 work weeks | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer5% now, 52% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians17% now, 49% by 2028
- Mechanical Engineers7% now, 56% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment14% now, 20% by 2028
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians16% now, 49% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay19% now, 19% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services47,480 people
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution20,330 people
- Scientific Research and Development Services10,850 people
- Management of Companies and Enterprises10,260 people
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing9,380 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).