Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Also called: Relay Technician, Substation Electrician, Substation Technician, WiremanInspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 15 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 9.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Electrical and electronics repairers, industrial and utility”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 65% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $95,150 | $81,660 to $105,370 | 280 |
| Alaska | $125,260 | $65,720 to $166,350 | 80 |
| Arizona | $79,160 | $60,430 to $112,020 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $101,120 | $79,750 to $105,750 | 260 |
| California | $121,520 | $103,220 to $146,760 | 1,680 |
| Colorado | $125,560 | $100,890 to $133,300 | 210 |
| Connecticut | $109,610 | $99,280 to $124,160 | 210 |
| Florida | $101,780 | $78,240 to $109,680 | 910 |
| Georgia | $106,930 | $81,180 to $108,110 | 540 |
| Hawaii | $127,330 | $108,160 to $136,320 | 70 |
| Idaho | $119,170 | $89,360 to $131,080 | 100 |
| Illinois | $107,470 | $100,060 to $119,590 | 420 |
| Indiana | $105,700 | $87,520 to $114,170 | 290 |
| Iowa | $86,490 | $67,800 to $103,700 | 120 |
| Kansas | $104,970 | $96,480 to $113,980 | 280 |
| Kentucky | $98,860 | $93,170 to $105,370 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $80,610 | $74,170 to $104,750 | 370 |
| Maine | $92,570 | $81,920 to $99,120 | 160 |
| Maryland | $117,760 | $105,740 to $118,210 | not published |
| Massachusetts | $119,460 | $100,200 to $123,370 | 430 |
| Michigan | $106,600 | $86,430 to $120,650 | 450 |
| Minnesota | $99,900 | $75,290 to $107,560 | not published |
| Mississippi | $94,970 | $77,530 to $105,370 | 160 |
| Missouri | $96,850 | $47,530 to $105,170 | 290 |
| Montana | $97,380 | $95,480 to $113,330 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $104,850 | $91,290 to $121,090 | 60 |
| Nevada | $74,360 | $72,440 to $101,960 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $81,020 | $59,500 to $105,890 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $111,600 | $98,540 to $119,810 | 450 |
| New Mexico | $100,410 | $61,680 to $102,020 | 140 |
| New York | $98,310 | $88,370 to $127,340 | 3,160 |
| North Carolina | $104,710 | $89,860 to $108,110 | 950 |
| North Dakota | $75,050 | $59,240 to $104,660 | 80 |
| Ohio | $98,700 | $74,220 to $108,260 | 1,120 |
| Oklahoma | $97,800 | $78,290 to $122,260 | 330 |
| Oregon | $131,050 | $104,000 to $146,570 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,660 | $79,640 to $108,740 | 1,110 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,360 | $31,260 to $62,400 | 200 |
| Rhode Island | $107,980 | $83,460 to $109,370 | 30 |
| South Carolina | $91,140 | $79,850 to $95,840 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $101,830 | $98,180 to $125,550 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $96,840 | $80,070 to $105,370 | 430 |
| Texas | $102,470 | $80,070 to $116,360 | 2,360 |
| Utah | $114,250 | $108,870 to $126,820 | 100 |
| Vermont | $105,640 | $101,960 to $114,770 | 30 |
| Virginia | $99,390 | $72,840 to $104,500 | 910 |
| Washington | $125,620 | $90,090 to $135,130 | 410 |
| West Virginia | $97,600 | $54,350 to $97,600 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $108,980 | $96,330 to $121,700 | 150 |
Nationally: $103,020. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 5 of its 15 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Inspect and test equipment and circuits to identify malfunctions or defects, using wiring diagrams and testing devices such as ohmmeters, voltmeters, or ammeters. | Not published |
| AI + software | Consult manuals, schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering personnel to troubleshoot and solve equipment problems and to determine optimum equipment functioning. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare and maintain records detailing tests, repairs, and maintenance. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Notify facility personnel of equipment shutdowns. | Not published |
| Not much | Analyze test data to diagnose malfunctions, to determine performance characteristics of systems, or to evaluate effects of system modifications. | 0.06% |
| Not much | Repair, replace, and clean equipment and components such as circuit breakers, brushes, and commutators. | Not published |
See all 15 tasks
| Not much | Open and close switches to isolate defective relays, performing adjustments or repairs. | Not published |
| Not much | Run signal quality and connectivity tests for individual cables, and record results. | Not published |
| Not much | Construct, test, maintain, and repair substation relay and control systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain inventories of spare parts for all equipment, requisitioning parts as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Test insulators and bushings of equipment by inducing voltage across insulation, testing current, and calculating insulation loss. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule and supervise splicing or termination of cables in color-code order. | Not published |
| Not much | Disconnect voltage regulators, bolts, and screws, and connect replacement regulators to high-voltage lines. | Not published |
| Not much | Test oil in circuit breakers and transformers for dielectric strength, refilling oil periodically. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule and supervise the construction and testing of special devices and the implementation of unique monitoring or control systems. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 15 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 15 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Repair electrical or electronic equipment | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Analyze performance of systems or equipment |
Show all 16 activities
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Document technical designs, procedures, or activities | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer22%
- An analysis or summary18%
- Code fixes or debugging15%
- A script or snippet13%
- A document or report11%
How they worked with Claude
60% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,390 moves out
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 2 Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers High +3.7% 4%
- 3 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 4 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 4%
- 5 Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,353 moves in
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 9%
- 2 Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers High +3.7% 7%
- 3 Electricians Moderate +9.2% 6%
- 4 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
- 5 Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 8% high school
- 50% postsecondary certificate
- 11% some college
- 28% associate's
- 2% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 6% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 37% some college
- 17% associate's
- 9% bachelor's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Electrical and electronics repairers, industrial and utility” · 234 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Electrical and electronics repairers, industrial and utility”
4 programs, such as Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician, Power Plant Technology/Technician and Electrical and Power Transmission Installation/Installer, General.
See all
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician
- Power Plant Technology/Technician
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installation/Installer, General
- Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 5 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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