Career Explorer Installation and repair
Human edge, growing
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 89% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +9.7% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $103,020
- Job growth to 2035
- +9.7%
- Openings a year
- 1,800
- People doing it (2025)
- 20,900
- Usual route in
- College certificate, then moderate on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Test performance of equipment or systems
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- Communicate with others about operational plans or activities
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Repair electrical or electronic equipment
- Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment
- Maintain operational records
What the work looks like
- Inspect and test equipment and circuits to identify malfunctions or defects, using wiring diagrams and testing devices such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or ammeters.
- Prepare and maintain records detailing tests, repairs, and maintenance.
- Consult manuals, schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering personnel to troubleshoot and solve equipment problems and to determine optimum equipment functioning.
- Analyze test data to diagnose malfunctions, to determine performance characteristics of systems, or to evaluate effects of system modifications.
- Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Medical equipment repairersHuman edge, growing, Index 92, +12.6%
- Wind turbine service techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +29.5%
- Electrical power-line installers and repairersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +10.3%
- Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installersHuman edge, growing, Index 94, +10.9%
Also known as: Relay Technician, Substation Electrician, Substation Technician, Wireman, Electrical and Instrumentation Technician (E and I Technician), Electrical Technician, Instrument and Control Technician (I and C Technician), Instrumentation and Control Technician (I and C Technician).
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.