Will AI replace electronics engineers?
Updated
Electronics engineers score 53 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 77%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 8% outright, and 15% stays with people.
- 8% AI can do it
- 77% AI helps
- 15% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 81% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 20 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 15 and leaves 3 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare, review, or maintain maintenance schedules, design documentation, or operational reports or charts. AI generates schedules and reports from data; engineer reviews output. | 62% AI can do it |
| Prepare budget or cost estimates for equipment, construction, or installation projects or control expenditures. AI can build cost estimates from data; engineer approves budget. | 62% AI can do it |
| Prepare documentation containing information such as confidential descriptions or specifications of proprietary hardware or software, product development or introduction schedules, product costs, or information about product performance weaknesses. AI drafts specs and docs; confidentiality review stays with engineers. | 55% AI helps |
| Prepare necessary criteria, procedures, reports, or plans for successful conduct of the project with consideration given to site preparation, facility validation, installation, quality assurance, or testing. AI drafts plans and test procedures; site validation needs people. | 55% AI helps |
| Prepare engineering sketches or specifications for construction, relocation, or installation of equipment, facilities, products, or systems. AI drafts specifications; site and installation sketches need engineer input. | 50% AI helps |
| Design electronic components, software, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military, or scientific applications. AI speeds design generation and simulation; engineer is responsible for decisions. | 45% AI helps |
| Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform electronics engineering tasks. AI assists CAD scripting and layout tasks; engineer drives tools. | 45% AI helps |
| Recommend repair or design modifications of electronics components or systems, based on factors such as environment, service, cost, or system capabilities. AI can screen repair options; field judgment still needed. | 45% AI helps |
| Develop or perform operational, maintenance, or testing procedures for electronic products, components, equipment, or systems. AI drafts test procedures; hands-on testing stays with engineers. | 45% AI helps |
| Determine project material or equipment needs. AI can draft bills of materials from specs; buyer confirms. | 45% AI helps |
Show the other 10 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Investigate green consumer electronics applications for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers. AI helps research green applications; findings need expert checks. | 45% AI helps |
| Evaluate project work to ensure effectiveness, technical adequacy, or compatibility in the resolution of complex electronics engineering problems. AI can check reports against specs; engineer judges adequacy. | 40% AI helps |
| Provide technical support or instruction to staff or customers regarding electronics equipment standards. Drafted guides and chatbots help; live instruction stays human. | 40% AI helps |
| Analyze electronics system requirements, capacity, cost, or customer needs to determine project feasibility. AI can compare requirements and costs; feasibility call stays human. | 40% AI helps |
| Plan or develop applications or modifications for electronic properties used in components, products, or systems to improve technical performance. AI suggests design options; performance tradeoffs need engineering judgment. | 40% AI helps |
| Research or develop new green electronics technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, or energy efficient televisions. AI aids literature and simulation; lab development stays physical. | 35% AI helps |
| Confer with engineers, customers, vendors, or others to discuss existing or potential electronics engineering projects or products. Meeting prep and notes help; live discussion stays with people. | 30% AI helps |
| Direct or coordinate activities concerned with manufacture, construction, installation, maintenance, operation, or modification of electronic equipment, products, or systems. Supervising physical manufacture and installation needs on-site leadership. | 18% Needs a person |
| Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, products, or systems to ensure conformance to specifications, safety standards, or applicable codes or regulations. Physical inspection needs hands on equipment; AI helps with records. | 15% Needs a person |
| Represent employer at conferences, meetings, boards, panels, committees, or working groups to present, explain, or defend findings or recommendations, negotiate compromises or agreements, or exchange information. Live representation at boards and negotiations needs a person. | 15% Needs a person |
How electronics engineers compare
All occupations (923)
Architecture and engineering (56)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $130,220 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 96,900 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +3.7% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Run circuit simulations in MATLAB and sketch layouts in AutoCAD
- Model enclosures and mechanical fit in SolidWorks
- Write embedded firmware in C++ and Python on Linux
- Hold a Professional Engineer (PE) license for signed designs
- Check AI-drafted cost estimates against vendor quotes in Excel
- Validate prototypes on bench equipment and write test reports
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about electronics engineers and AI
Will electronics engineers be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours of an electronics engineer go to tasks AI can already do, mostly preparing schedules, design reports and budget estimates. Design decisions, lab testing and site work stay with engineers.
Which electronics engineering tasks is AI taking over?
AI takes over the paperwork first. Maintenance schedules and operational reports score 62 on exposure, and budget and cost estimates for equipment projects also score 62, because AI builds both from project data. The engineer still reviews each output before it leaves the team.
Which electronics engineering tasks stay with people?
Physical inspection stays human. Engineers check equipment against specifications, safety standards and codes manually, and AI only helps with the records. Live representation at boards, panels and negotiations also stays with people, as does directing manufacture and installation on site, where someone has to lead the crew.
How do electronics engineers stay valuable with AI?
Stay responsible for design decisions and the sign-off that goes with them. Run simulations in MATLAB and SolidWorks yourself, check AI-drafted schedules against test data, and spend time on bench validation and site work, which stays physical. A Professional Engineer license makes the signature count.
Related jobs
Next steps for electronics engineers
Check which roles in your team AI can take on
We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first.
Related topics
- Jobs AI can't replaceCement masons score lowest, at 8.
- Jobs most at risk from AIProofreaders score highest, at 76.
- High-paying jobs with low AI exposureRadiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.
- Entry-level jobs with low AI exposureCement masons need little prior training and score 8.
- Jobs AI speeds up the mostFor natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.
- AI and jobs in Malta15 iGaming roles graded task by task.
- Skills that keep work humanThe skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.
- Jobs A to ZEvery job we publish, by first letter.
- AI exposure by industryAverage scores for 22 occupation groups.
- Write a CV screening software can readHow applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.
- AI for businessesThe tasks to automate first in each team and industry.
- How we score AI exposureThe grading, the weights and every source.