Will AI replace automotive engineering technicians?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 1h 17m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The other 6h 43m (84%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.3% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 2 of 18 tasks, about 1h 17m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools. (53m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts. (24m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 6 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 4 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

6h 43m of a typical shift, or 84%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability. (1h 5m a shift)
• Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures. (53m a shift)
• Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts. (41m a shift)
• Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions. (36m a shift)
• Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces. (36m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 89% talk face to face with others every day
• 67% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 63% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time

For the 1 task in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 4h 49m for a person alone and about 27m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts (about 4h 49m alone, 27m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Industrial Engineering sector are at 124% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 38% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 3,100 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $74,510 a year ($35.82 an hour), 46% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $48,400 and $106,050 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 1.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 37,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 3,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 36,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.02% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 439th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 37,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is an associate's degree: about 37% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 6h 43m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Word, SAP software
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Robotics Technicians (0m touched, $74k median pay)
• Photonics Technicians (0m touched, $78k median pay)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (19m touched, $78k median pay)
• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians (0m touched, $74k median pay)
• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (0m touched, $83k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 observed in real AI use, 16 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.