The Task Exposure Indexv2026.Q3
Occupation · SOC 17-2072.00 · Job Zone 4

AI exposure: Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

Research, design, develop, or test electronic components and systems for commercial, industrial, military, or scientific use employing knowledge of electronic theory and materials properties. Design electronic circuits and components for use in fields such as telecommunications, aerospace guidance and propulsion control, acoustics, or instruments and controls.

Reading this score

computed

43.0% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at the 77th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.8 out of 4 on what a current system can produce, and the frictions that hold other jobs in place are comparatively weak here.

What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 20 tasks it averages 1.90 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.

The most exposed thing this job does is Prepare, review, or maintain maintenance schedules, design documentation, or operational..., at 71.1%. The least is Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, products, or systems to ensure conformance to..., at 15.0%. A gap of 56.1% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.

Within architecture and engineering occupations, this one is more exposed than most. The median across the 56 roles in the group is 37.5%, and only 2 of them score higher than this. Occupational families are not uniform, and the spread inside them is often wider than the gap between them.

What would move this score. Of 20 tasks, 15 are currently banded exposed, 3 assisted and 2 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take cheaper ways to verify output, since the cost of checking is currently doing more to hold this work in place than the cost of producing it. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.

Task by task

20 tasks, O*NET 31.0
TaskExposedAssistedUntouchedImportanceBand
Prepare, review, or maintain maintenance schedules, design documentation, or operational reports or charts.71.1%28.9%0.0%3.26exposed
Analyze electronics system requirements, capacity, cost, or customer needs to determine project feasibility.66.7%33.3%0.0%3.36exposed
Provide technical support or instruction to staff or customers regarding electronics equipment standards.61.3%26.2%12.5%3.69exposed
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.60.0%40.0%0.0%3.60exposed
Operate computer-assisted engineering or design software or equipment to perform electronics engineering tasks.55.0%20.0%25.0%4.05exposed
Prepare budget or cost estimates for equipment, construction, or installation projects or control expenditures.52.5%22.5%25.0%2.90exposed
Evaluate project work to ensure effectiveness, technical adequacy, or compatibility in the resolution of complex electronics engineering problems.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.96exposed
Determine project material or equipment needs.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.06exposed
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.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.50exposed
Recommend repair or design modifications of electronics components or systems, based on factors such as environment, service, cost, or system capabilities.45.0%30.0%25.0%3.63exposed
Investigate green consumer electronics applications for consumer electronic devices, power saving devices for computers or televisions, or energy efficient power chargers.45.0%30.0%25.0%2.41exposed
Research or develop new green electronics technologies, such as lighting, optical data storage devices, or energy efficient televisions.45.0%30.0%25.0%2.36exposed
Confer with engineers, customers, vendors, or others to discuss existing or potential electronics engineering projects or products.40.0%35.0%25.0%3.73exposed
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.40.0%35.0%25.0%2.37exposed
Prepare engineering sketches or specifications for construction, relocation, or installation of equipment, facilities, products, or systems.30.0%20.0%50.0%2.93exposed
Design electronic components, software, products, or systems for commercial, industrial, medical, military, or scientific applications.23.3%26.7%50.0%4.07assisted
Plan or develop applications or modifications for electronic properties used in components, products, or systems to improve technical performance.23.3%26.7%50.0%3.44assisted
Direct or coordinate activities concerned with manufacture, construction, installation, maintenance, operation, or modification of electronic equipment, products, or systems.20.0%30.0%50.0%3.80assisted
Develop or perform operational, maintenance, or testing procedures for electronic products, components, equipment, or systems.15.0%10.0%75.0%3.43untouched
Inspect electronic equipment, instruments, products, or systems to ensure conformance to specifications, safety standards, or applicable codes or regulations.15.0%10.0%75.0%3.23untouched

Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.

Where the score comes from

judged

Every task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.

DimensionMeanScale
Capability2.770-4
Embodiment0.700-3
Presence0.310-3
Accountability1.280-3
Context1.900-3
Verification cost1.730-3

What this means in practice

Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.

Occupations either side of this one

The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.

Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.