# Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians

US SOC code 17-3023. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-3023

Also called: Electrical engineering technician, Electronics technician, Electronic technician, Test technician, Electronics test technician.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **95,130** US electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, with median pay of **$78,190** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **101,450**, in May 2021. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/23402/chapter/6) of **50,000** from 1950, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: Cloud-connected ATE, LXI instruments, and Python test automation, 2010 to 2023.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.4% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-3023&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **33%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1941
- Latest US employment: 95,130 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [2]
- Latest US median pay: $78,190 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [9]
- Outlook: +2.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [24]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 22310)
  - Employment, 2020: 44,475. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [6]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 22310 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$79,500. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [13]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 22310 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1950 | 50,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Academies Press [1] |
| 1960 | 115,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Academies Press [1] |
| 1968 | n/a | $7,800 | BLS historical bulletin June 1968 [7] |
| 1971 | 157,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Academies Press [1] |
| 1980 | n/a | $19,500 (estimate) | Est., National Academies Press [8] |
| 2000 | 287,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., National Academies Press [1] |
| 2003 | 177,940 | $43,650 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [2] |
| 2004 | 178,560 | $46,310 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [2] |
| 2005 | 165,850 | $48,040 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [2] |
| 2006 | 166,340 | $50,660 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [2] |
| 2007 | 162,460 | $52,140 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [2] |
| 2008 | 162,330 | $53,240 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [2] |
| 2009 | 154,050 | $54,820 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [2] |
| 2010 | 147,750 | $56,040 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2011 | 150,020 | $56,900 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [2] |
| 2012 | 144,460 | $57,850 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [2] |
| 2013 | 141,150 | $58,540 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 137,040 | $59,820 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [2] |
| 2015 | 139,080 | $61,130 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [2] |
| 2016 | 134,870 | $62,190 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [2] |
| 2017 | 128,320 | $63,660 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [2] |
| 2018 | 126,950 | $64,330 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [2] |
| 2019 | 122,550 | $65,260 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [2] |
| 2020 | 115,270 | $67,550 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [2] |
| 2021 | 101,450 | $63,640 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [2] |
| 2022 | 99,050 | $66,390 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [2] |
| 2023 | 97,420 | $72,800 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [2] |
| 2024 | 92,710 | $77,180 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [2] |
| 2025 | 95,130 | $78,190 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [2] |

## Sources (89)

### Employment series

1. [National Academies Press — "Engineering Technology Education in the United States" (2017), Ch. 4: The Employment of Engineering Technology Talent, historical workforce discussion](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/23402/chapter/6), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
2. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
3. [BLS OEWS May 2013, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

7. [BLS — National Survey of Professional, Administrative, Technical and Clerical Pay, June 1968 (BLS Bulletin, technical occupations earnings table)](https://www.bls.gov/ocs/publications/pdf/national-survey-of-professional-administrative-technical-and-clerical-pay-june-1968.pdf), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. [National Academies Press — "Engineering Technology Education in the United States" (2017), Ch. 4: real annual income stable ~$50,000 (2015 dollars) over 40 years; BLS CPI-U deflation applied](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/23402/chapter/6), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
9. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
10. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

14. [IEEE Milestones — MIT Radiation Laboratory (1940-1945): origin of the trained electronics technician workforce](https://ethw.org/Milestones:MIT_Radiation_Laboratory,_1940-1945), Engineering and Technology History Wiki / IEEE
15. [MIT Radiation Laboratory — MIT Lincoln Laboratory history page (Rad Lab grew to 3,897 employees by August 1945)](https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/history/mit-radiation-laboratory), MIT Lincoln Laboratory
16. [National Defense Education Act of 1958 — EBSCO Research Starters (vocational technician training: $60M directed to electronics and technical fields)](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/education/national-defense-education-act-1958), EBSCO Research Starters
17. [Wikipedia — History of electronics engineering (solid-state and integrated circuit era, 1960s-1970s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_electronic_engineering), Wikipedia
18. [National Academies Press — "Engineering Technology Education in the United States" (2017): ET workforce and specialization trends, 1971-2000; ATE era framing](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/23402/chapter/6), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
19. [NI (National Instruments) — What is LabVIEW? (history: first released 1986 for the Apple Macintosh, transforming instrument control programming)](https://www.ni.com/en/shop/labview), National Instruments / NI
20. [MathWorks — MATLAB history and product overview (first commercial release 1984; core data analysis tool in electronics test environments)](https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab.html), MathWorks
21. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (employment trends and industry distribution)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineering-technicians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [NI (National Instruments) — TestStand overview: industry-standard test executive framework (GUI-based, production deployment, AI-assisted sequence authoring)](https://www.ni.com/en/shop/electronic-test-instrumentation/application-software-for-electronic-test-and-instrumentation-category/what-is-teststand), National Instruments / NI
23. [Keysight Technologies — PathWave OpenTAP: open-source AI-assisted test automation platform (open-platform ATE for modern test environments)](https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/software/pathwave-test-software/pathwave-opentap.html), Keysight Technologies

### Forecasts and exposure studies

24. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-3023 Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians (2025: 96.9 thousand; 2035: 99.2 thousand; +2.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-3023&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
25. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 17-3023.00, human-rated β 0.33)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

26. [MIT Radiation Laboratory — MIT Lincoln Laboratory history (Rad Lab 3,897 employees by August 1945; origin of professional electronics technician workforce)](https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/history/mit-radiation-laboratory), MIT Lincoln Laboratory
27. [EBSCO Research Starters — National Defense Education Act of 1958 (vocational technician training: $60M, electronics and technical fields)](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/education/national-defense-education-act-1958), EBSCO Research Starters
28. [ETA International — About ETA: Certified Electronics Technician (CET) certification history and standards](https://www.eta-i.org/cet.html), ETA International
29. [National Academies Press — "Engineering Technology Education in the United States" (2017), Ch. 4: ET workforce peak 821,000+ in 2000; post-dot-com contraction](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/23402/chapter/6), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
30. [US Congress — CHIPS and Science Act (2022), P.L. 117-167: $52.7B semiconductor manufacturing and workforce (signed August 9, 2022)](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4346), US Congress / NIST

### Predecessors & successors

31. [MIT Radiation Laboratory — MIT Lincoln Laboratory history (Rad Lab trained ~3,897 electronics personnel by 1945; veteran pipeline into postwar technician workforce)](https://www.ll.mit.edu/about/history/mit-radiation-laboratory), MIT Lincoln Laboratory
32. [National Academies Press — "Engineering Technology Education in the United States" (2017): community college ET programs grew rapidly 1958-1980 under NDEA vocational training funding](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/23402/chapter/6), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
33. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical and Electronics Engineers (17-2072): $115,080 median; +5% growth 2024-34; credentialed technicians as a key feeder population](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
34. [BLS OOH — Solar Photovoltaic Installers and wind turbine technicians: strong growth projections; electronics technician background directly applicable](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/solar-photovoltaic-installers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3023.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-3023.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians (2024–2034, +2% growth)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineering-technicians.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science; 17-3023 β ≈ 0.407 — moderate LLM task exposure)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [NI (National Instruments) — TestStand 2024 AI-assisted sequence development and test data analytics](https://www.ni.com/en/shop/electronic-test-instrumentation/application-software-for-electronic-test-and-instrumentation-category/what-is-teststand), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Keysight Technologies — PathWave OpenTAP: open-source AI-assisted test automation platform (2025)](https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/software/pathwave-test-software/pathwave-opentap.html), accessed 2026-05-23
- [MathWorks — MATLAB Live Editor with AI-assisted code generation, agentic AI integration, and test data analytics (2024–2025)](https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/live-editor.html), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Altium — Altium 365 platform: AI-driven component intelligence, supply chain integration, and PCB design collaboration (2025)](https://www.altium.com/altium-365), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Fluke — MET/CAL Calibration Management Software: AI-assisted measurement uncertainty analysis and calibration scheduling](https://us.flukecal.com/products/calibration-software/metcal-calibration-management-software), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Teradyne — IG-XL AI-assisted test program development and production test analytics (2024–2025)](https://www.teradyne.com/products/semiconductor-test/ig-xl/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Test & Measurement World — AI-driven test automation trends for production electronics test technicians (2025)](https://www.tmworld.com/test-measurement/article/21275688/ai-in-test-and-measurement-2025), accessed 2026-05-23
- [IEEE Spectrum — Engineering workforce coverage: skills bifurcation between physical-bench and AI-augmented test roles](https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/engineering-workforce), accessed 2026-06-21
- [GitHub — Copilot transforms GitHub into the AI-powered developer platform: code generation, writing, and scripting (2023)](https://github.blog/2023-11-08-universe-2023-copilot-transforms-github-into-the-ai-powered-developer-platform/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [NI — LabVIEW with Nigel AI: natural-language VI generation and test data analytics automation (2025)](https://www.ni.com/en/shop/labview.html), accessed 2026-06-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.