Electricians: A Future-Proof Profession in the Age of Automation

Electricians: A Future-Proof Profession in the Age of Automation

Last Updated: 2026-05-29T05:04:01.149-04:00

An April 2026 report from construction scheduling platform Planera finds that electricians have a low automation risk of 14% and are in high demand, with over 80,000 new positions expected nationally through 2026. This is driven by aging infrastructure, the need for EV charging networks, and the transition to new energy sources. The report highlights the irony that AI data centers, which are driving automation fears, require electricians for their construction and maintenance, making the profession "future-proof."

The report, which analyzed over 55 manual professions, found that emergency services have the lowest average automation risk at 11%, while agriculture has the highest at 89%. The study excluded office and technology roles to focus on the physical workforce.

In other news, Post Electric, an electrical contractor in Southwest Missouri, has expanded its services to include home automation and smart technology integration. The company cites a growing demand from homeowners to modernize their electrical systems.

Siemens announced a new generation of their Simatic S7-1200 G2 control system, which is certified according to the IEC 62443 cybersecurity standard and is aligned with the NIS2 Directive. Level Automation, a company that designs and builds electrical and automation cabinets, has already migrated to the new system.

A recent article highlighted that major companies like Tesla, Intel, and Siemens are hiring electrical engineers to support new technologies such as AI, electrification, and automation. The median annual salary for electrical engineers is about $118,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Chariho Career and Technical Center’s Electrical Technology class took a field trip to ProSystems Integration, an automation company in Westerly, to learn about career opportunities in industrial automation. A former student of the class, who is now an engineer at the company, hosted the students to show them a different side of the electrical industry beyond residential and commercial work.

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