Electricians
Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
757,220 people do this job in the US. $63,190 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 17%
- 1%
- 82%
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, 11%. Today's estimate: 13%.
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 . 21 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.Done daily by most who do it. | 16% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Work from ladders, scaffolds, or roofs to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 14% | 1.7 h38 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Assemble, install, test, or maintain electrical or electronic wiring, equipment, appliances, apparatus, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 11% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform physically demanding tasks, such as digging trenches to lay conduit or moving or lifting heavy objects.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 2.5 h25 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Direct or train workers to install, maintain, or repair electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h25 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Prepare sketches or follow blueprints to determine the location of wiring or equipment and to ensure conformance to building and safety codes.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 6% | 50 min17 min to 3.3 h | 78%Half by now | |
| 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.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain current electrician's license or identification card to meet governmental regulations.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | 77%Half by now | |
| Plan layout and installation of electrical wiring, equipment, or fixtures, based on job specifications and local codes.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | 69%Half by now | |
| Repair or replace wiring, equipment, or fixtures, using hand tools or power tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect electrical systems, equipment, or components to identify hazards, defects, or the need for adjustment or repair, and to ensure compliance with codes.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.1 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| 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.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | 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.
- Lighting Technicians8% now, 12% by 2028
- Helpers--Electricians1% now, 1% by 2028
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters16% now, 24% by 2028
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers2% now, 2% by 2028
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers3% now, 3% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment8% now, 8% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).