Will electrical linemen be replaced by AI?
Updated
Electrical linemen score 12 of 100 for AI exposure. 86% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 14%.
- 14% AI helps
- 86% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 93% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 23 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 3 and leaves 20 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Identify defective sectionalizing devices, circuit breakers, fuses, voltage regulators, transformers, switches, relays, or wiring, using wiring diagrams and electrical-testing instruments. AI helps read diagrams and fault data, not test hardware. | 32% AI helps |
| Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers. AI can draft schedules and paperwork; crew coordination stays human. | 28% AI helps |
| Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation. AI can review aerial imagery for obstructions; flying stays human. | 24% AI helps |
| Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments. Physical testing; AI can help interpret readings and logs. | 14% Needs a person |
| Test conductors, according to electrical diagrams and specifications, to identify corresponding conductors and to prevent incorrect connections. Conductor identification is hands on work with meters. | 11% Needs a person |
| Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas. Checklists can be digitized; barriers and equipment checks stay physical. | 9% Needs a person |
| Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches. Hands on installation and repair of energized gear needs people. | 8% Needs a person |
| Attach cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them. Attaching hardware to poles on the ground is manual work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Trim trees that could be hazardous to the functioning of cables or wires. Tree trimming near energized lines is dangerous physical work. | 6% Needs a person |
| String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension. Stringing conductors with winches is physical crew work. | 5% Needs a person |
Show the other 13 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Install watt-hour meters and connect service drops between power lines and consumers' facilities. Meter installs and service drop connections happen on site. | 5% Needs a person |
| Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites. Driving loaded work trucks needs a human driver today. | 4% Needs a person |
| Open switches or attach grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs. Grounding live lines is high risk physical work on site. | 4% Needs a person |
| Replace or straighten damaged poles. Pole straightening and replacement is heavy physical field work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Place insulating or fireproofing materials over conductors and joints. Applying insulation and fireproofing wraps to joints is manual. | 4% Needs a person |
| Splice or solder cables together or to overhead transmission lines, customer service lines, or street light lines, using hand tools, epoxies, or specialized equipment. Splicing with tools and epoxies is skilled physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Cut and peel lead sheathing and insulation from defective or newly installed cables and conduits prior to splicing. Stripping lead sheathing needs manual skill on each cable. | 4% Needs a person |
| Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment. Digging and crane setting poles is heavy outdoor equipment work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks. Hauling cable manually from reels is heavy manual labor. | 3% Needs a person |
| Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduit running through the trenches. Laying cable in trenches is physical crew work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Cut trenches for laying underground cables, using trenchers and cable plows. Operating trenchers and plows in the field is physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Clean, tin, and splice corresponding conductors by twisting ends together or by joining ends with metal clamps and soldering connections. Soldering and twisting conductor ends is manual skill work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment. Climbing poles and running bucket trucks is purely physical work. | 2% Needs a person |
How electrical linemen compare
All occupations (923)
Installation, maintenance and repair (50)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $95,320 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 131,070 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +10.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Read wiring diagrams and test conductors with meters
- Log line faults and inspection points in GIS systems
- Mark up circuit drawings in Bentley MicroStation
- Run barrier and equipment safety checks on job sites
- Climb poles and run bucket trucks on energized lines
- Draft crew schedules and work orders in Microsoft Excel
Safer roles nearby
4 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about electrical linemen and AI
Will AI replace electrical linemen?
Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly reading fault diagrams to locate defective breakers, transformers and relays, and drafting work assignments and schedules. Climbing poles, digging, pulling cable and crew coordination on site stay with people.
Which electrical lineman tasks is AI taking over?
Identifying defective breakers, fuses, transformers and relays from wiring diagrams carries the highest exposure score at 32, because AI can read diagrams and fault data. Preparing work assignments scores 28, so AI can draft the schedules and paperwork while the crew lead still makes the field calls.
Which electrical lineman tasks stay human?
Climbing poles and running bucket trucks score 2 on exposure, the lowest in the job, because the work is physical at height. Digging holes, pulling cable manually and splicing conductors each score 3, since they need hands on equipment in a trench or on a pole.
How can electrical linemen stay valuable as AI spreads?
Log faults and inspection points in GIS and GPS software so your field findings feed the system. Read wiring diagrams in Bentley MicroStation and confirm them with meter readings on site. Keep your OSHA safety card current and run the barrier and equipment checks yourself.
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