Will AI replace helpers for electricians?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 7h 37m (95%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 0.6% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 3 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 23m of a typical shift. 18 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 3 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Dig trenches or holes for installation of conduit or supports. (12m a shift; e.g. Built Robotics AI Guidance System / Exosystem on excavators, in use)
• Install copper-clad ground rods, using a manual post driver. (6m a shift; e.g. Built Robotics RPD 35 / RPS 25 autonomous piling system, in use)
• Trim trees and clear undergrowth along right-of-way. (6m a shift; e.g. Swap Robotics solar robotics platform, in use)

7h 37m of a typical shift, or 95%, 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:

• Drill holes and pull or push wiring through openings, using hand and power tools. (59m a shift)
• Measure, cut, and bend wire and conduit, using measuring instruments and hand tools. (47m a shift)
• Perform semi-skilled and unskilled laboring duties related to the installation, maintenance and repair of a wide variety of electrical systems and equipment. (41m a shift)
• Transport tools, materials, equipment, and supplies to work site by hand, handtruck, or heavy, motorized truck. (41m a shift)
• Strip insulation from wire ends, using wire stripping pliers, and attach wires to terminals for subsequent soldering. (35m 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:

• 100% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 93% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 89% talk face to face with others every day

On Indeed, job postings in the Construction sector are at 129% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 6.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 6,100 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 $42,670 a year ($20.51 an hour), 16% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $33,020 and $58,340 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 0.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 65,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 6,100 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 64,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.04% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 349th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 65,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 71% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. 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: Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 37m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software

These use similar skills. 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:

• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (2h 31m touched, $70k median pay)
• Carpenters (6m touched, $61k median pay)
• Millwrights (0m touched, $66k median pay)
• Sheet Metal Workers (17m touched, $62k median pay)
• Electricians (0m touched, $63k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 3 with robots in real deployments, 22 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.