Will av technicians be replaced by AI?
Updated
AV technicians score 28 of 100 for AI exposure. 57% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 14% today and speed up another 29%.
- 14% AI can do it
- 29% AI helps
- 57% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 66% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 11 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 3 and leaves 6 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Keep records of work orders and test and maintenance reports. Routine digital record keeping suits AI logging and templating. | 75% AI can do it |
| Compute cost estimates for labor and materials. Cost estimates are calculations from known labor and material rates. | 65% AI can do it |
| Read and interpret electronic circuit diagrams, function block diagrams, specifications, engineering drawings, and service manuals. AI searches manuals and explains schematics; diagrams still error prone. | 45% AI helps |
| Confer with customers to determine the nature of problems or to explain repairs. Explaining problems to customers; AI drafts talking points. | 30% AI helps |
| Instruct customers on the safe and proper use of equipment. Usage instructions can be drafted; demonstration stays manual. | 30% AI helps |
| Install, service, and repair electronic equipment or instruments such as televisions, radios, and videocassette recorders. Physical repair work; AI helps only with diagnosis. | 18% Needs a person |
| Calibrate and test equipment, and locate circuit and component faults, using hand and power tools and measuring and testing instruments such as resistance meters and oscilloscopes. Instrument testing and fault finding happen on the bench. | 15% Needs a person |
| Tune or adjust equipment and instruments to obtain optimum visual or auditory reception, according to specifications, manuals, and drawings. Manual tuning against live signals and perceived quality. | 15% Needs a person |
| Position or mount speakers, and wire speakers to consoles. Physically mounting and wiring speakers in rooms. | 5% Needs a person |
| Make service calls to repair units in customers' homes, or return units to shops for major repairs. Travel to homes and physical repairs remain beyond automation's reach. | 4% Needs a person |
| Disassemble entertainment equipment and repair or replace loose, worn, or defective components and wiring, using hand tools and soldering irons. Soldering and disassembling physical components requires hands. | 4% Needs a person |
How AV technicians compare
All occupations (923)
Installation, maintenance and repair (50)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $52,600 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 19,780 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +4.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Calibrate speakers and screens with audio calibration software
- Find circuit faults with an oscilloscope and resistance meter
- Solder and replace worn components on electronic boards
- Mount and wire speakers in client rooms
- Write work order and test reports in Microsoft Excel
- Read service manuals and circuit diagrams for repair steps
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about AV technicians and AI
Will AI replace av technicians?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly keeping work order records and computing labor and material cost estimates. What stays with people is the hands-on work in customers' homes and on the bench, from mounting speakers to soldering boards.
Which AV technician tasks is AI taking over?
Record keeping and cost estimates go first. Logging work orders and test reports scores 75 on exposure, and computing cost estimates scores 65, because both are templates and calculations built from known rates and past job data. Drafting customer talking points and usage instructions, scored 30, also moves to AI.
Which AV technician tasks stay human?
Physical work stays with the technician. Service calls, speaker mounting and soldering all score 4 to 5 on exposure, because each needs hands in a room or at a bench. Tuning equipment to live signals, scored 15, also stays human, since a person judges picture and sound quality.
How can AV technicians stay valuable?
Use audio calibration software to tune systems, then record each setting in Excel. Ask AI to search service manuals and explain circuit diagrams, but confirm every fault with an oscilloscope before parts are ordered. Write customer explanations in Word, then demonstrate equipment use on site. Plan home visits with GPS software.
Related jobs
Next steps for AV technicians
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