# Electricians

US SOC code 47-2111. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/47-2111

Also called: Journeyman electrician, Master electrician, Licensed electrician, Residential electrician, Commercial electrician.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **757,220** US electricians, with median pay of **$63,190** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2012, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [a Census count](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml) of **51,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for electricians: Smart home wiring + BIM coordination, 2012 to 2022.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=47-2111&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **14.6%** 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)
- **0.15** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.15. BLS counted **542,680** of these jobs in May 2013 and **757,220** in May 2025 (+40%, a change derived by Future History).

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. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Electricians employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1882
- Latest US employment: 757,220 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Latest US median pay: $63,190 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [15]
- Outlook: +9.2% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [36]

### 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 72200)
  - Employment, 2020: 119,640. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [10]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income, the EXACT SUM of the cited cells for NOC 72200 + 72201 (this US occupation has no single NOC unit-group equivalent), combined as Electricians (construction and industrial), Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. A sum of cited cells, not an estimate. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$68,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [19]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 72200 Electricians (except industrial and power system), the dominant constituent of the combined Electricians (construction and industrial) (NOC 72200 + 72201), Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). This is the cited median of the dominant group, not a blend of the constituent medians. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
- **United Kingdom** (UK SOC 5241)
  - Employment, 2025: 97,000. Source: ONS ASHE 2025 [11]. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Table 14): employee jobs in SOC 5241 Electricians and electrical fitters, United Kingdom, 2025 (ASHE "number of jobs", thousands x1000; excludes self-employment). Open Government Licence v3.0.
  - Median pay, 2025: £39,187. Source: ONS ASHE 2025 [20]. ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Table 14.7a): median gross annual pay for all employee jobs in SOC 5241 Electricians and electrical fitters, United Kingdom, 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- **Australia** (ANZSCO 3411)
  - Employment, 2025: 195,200. Source: ABS Labour Force Survey March 2026 [12]. ABS Labour Force Survey (Detailed), table EQ08: employed persons in ANZSCO 3411 Electricians, national (summed across sex and state/territory), annual average of 4 quarterly estimates.
  - Median pay, 2025: A$113,932. Source: ABS Employee Earnings May 2025 [21]. Annualised (x52) from A$2,191 median weekly earnings. ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025: median pay for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate, before tax. Surfaced via the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 3411.

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 51,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1900 [1] |
| 1920 | 210,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1920 [2] |
| 1940 | 290,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Future History (derived estimate) [3] |
| 1960 | 390,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., BLS [4] |
| 1980 | 580,000 (estimate) | $18,000 (estimate) | Est., BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook [5] |
| 2000 | 640,260 | $40,120 | BLS OEWS 2000 [6] |
| 2003 | 584,010 | $41,680 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [7] |
| 2004 | 582,920 | $42,300 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [7] |
| 2005 | 606,500 | $42,790 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [7] |
| 2006 | 617,370 | $43,610 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [7] |
| 2007 | 624,560 | $44,780 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [7] |
| 2008 | 633,010 | $46,420 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [7] |
| 2009 | 579,150 | $47,180 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [7] |
| 2010 | 514,760 | $48,250 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [7] |
| 2011 | 512,290 | $49,320 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [7] |
| 2012 | 519,850 | $49,840 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [7] |
| 2013 | 542,680 | $50,510 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [7] |
| 2014 | 566,930 | $51,110 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [7] |
| 2015 | 592,230 | $51,880 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [7] |
| 2016 | 607,120 | $52,720 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [7] |
| 2017 | 631,080 | $54,110 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [7] |
| 2018 | 655,840 | $55,190 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [7] |
| 2019 | 688,620 | $56,180 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [7] |
| 2020 | 656,510 | $56,900 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [7] |
| 2021 | 650,580 | $60,040 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [7] |
| 2022 | 690,050 | $60,240 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [7] |
| 2023 | 712,580 | $61,590 | BLS OEWS May 2023 (employment) [7]; BLS OEWS May 2023 (pay) [16] |
| 2024 | 742,580 | $62,350 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [7] |
| 2025 | 757,220 | $63,190 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [7] |

## Sources (117)

### Employment series

1. [IPUMS USA — 1900 Census occupational data; "electricians" occupation code (Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970)](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/9050occup.shtml), IPUMS / University of Minnesota
2. [U.S. Census Bureau — 1920 Census of Population, Occupations: electricians count](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1923/dec/vol-04-occupations.html), U.S. Census Bureau
3. [Estimate of US electricians employment in 1940, derived from the documented trajectory of the electrical construction industry (Depression-era suppression, 1935 Wagner Act/REA-driven recovery); not read from a single Census occupation table.](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1943/dec/population-occupation.html), Future History (derived estimate)
4. [BLS — Historical Statistics of the United States: Manpower in Economic Growth (1965 edition), construction-trades employment series](https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1965/article/pdf/manpower-in-economic-growth.pdf), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electricians (1980-81 edition, historical employment context)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
7. 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), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
8. [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
9. [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
10. [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
11. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 5241, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2002](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2002/2002-table-14.zip), [2006](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2006consistentw_007methodology/2006-table-14.zip), [2010](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2010revised/2010-revised-table-14.zip), [2011](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2011revisedbasedonsoc2010/2011-revised-table-14.zip), [2015](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2015/table142015revised.zip), [2020](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2020revised/table142020revised.zip), [2022](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2022revised/ashetable142022revised.zip), [2025](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2025provisional/ashetable142025provisional.zip)
12. [ABS: Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, table EQ08 (Employed persons by Occupation unit group, ANZSCO 2013), March 2026](https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/latest-release), Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Wage series

13. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electricians (1980-81 edition wage context); inflation adjustment via BLS CPI-U calculator](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
14. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
15. 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), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
16. [BLS OEWS May 2023 — 47-2111 Electricians (median annual wage $61,590; $29.61/hr)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes472111.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
17. [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
18. [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
19. [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
20. ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14.7a (Annual pay - Gross), 4-digit SOC 5241, United Kingdom. Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0., Office for National Statistics. Editions: [2002](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2002/2002-table-14.zip), [2006](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2006consistentw_007methodology/2006-table-14.zip), [2010](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2010revised/2010-revised-table-14.zip), [2011](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2011revisedbasedonsoc2010/2011-revised-table-14.zip), [2015](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2015/table142015revised.zip), [2020](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2020revised/table142020revised.zip), [2022](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2022revised/ashetable142022revised.zip), [2025](https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/occupation4digitsoc2010ashetable14/2025provisional/ashetable142025provisional.zip)
21. [Jobs and Skills Australia: Electricians (ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025)](https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/3411-electricians), Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Bureau of Statistics

### Tool eras

22. [IEEE — "Pearl Street Station: The Birth of the Electric Power Industry" (September 4, 1882)](https://ethw.org/Pearl_Street_Station), Engineering and Technology History Wiki / IEEE
23. [IBEW — International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers history (founding 1891, wiremen organizing)](https://ibew.org/history-committee-recognizes-minn-locals-roots/), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
24. [Wikipedia — "National Electrical Code" (NEC first published 1897, updated every three years, ANSI standard 70)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electrical_Code), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — "Thermoplastic-sheathed cable" (Romex NM cable invented 1922 by Rome Wire Company, Rome, New York; first listed in NEC in 1926; trademarked brand now owned by Southwire)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoplastic-sheathed_cable), Wikipedia
26. [Baltimore Museum of Industry — Black & Decker 1916 portable drill history](https://www.thebmi.org/exhibits/black-decker/), Baltimore Museum of Industry
27. [Fluke — "History of the Multimeter: Galvanometer to Digital Voltmeter" (Triplett 630 series, analog meter era)](https://www.fluke.com/en-us/learn/blog/digital-multimeters/multimeter-history), Fluke Corporation
28. [Levittown Historical Society — "The Building of Levittown" (tract home wiring at scale, 1947-1951)](https://www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org/), Levittown Historical Society
29. [NFPA — "History of the GFCI: From Invention to NEC Mandate" (Dalziel 1961, 1971 NEC requirement)](https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-70-standard-for-electrical-installations/70), National Fire Protection Association
30. [Electrical Safety Foundation International — "Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters" (GFCI virtual demonstration: GFCIs have saved thousands of lives, cut power before electrical shock can occur)](https://www.esfi.org/gfci-virtual-demonstration/), Electrical Safety Foundation International
31. [Lutron Electronics — "Lutron History and Product Timeline" (Caseta wireless, 2012)](https://www.lutron.com/en-US/pages/SupportCenter/support.aspx), Lutron Electronics
32. [NECA — National Electrical Contractors Association, BIM adoption survey data (commercial project coordination)](https://www.necanet.org/industry-resources/research/technology), National Electrical Contractors Association
33. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electricians (2023-33 job outlook, +11% projected growth, EV and clean energy demand)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
34. [IEA — "Global EV Outlook 2024" (EV charging infrastructure buildout, electrician demand for installation)](https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024), International Energy Agency
35. [Reuters — "Heat pump shipments outsell gas furnaces in US for first time" (2022 data, DOE/AHRI)](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/heat-pump-shipments-outsell-gas-furnaces-us-2022-2023-05-09/), Reuters

### Forecasts and exposure studies

36. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 47-2111 Electricians (2025: 821.0 thousand; 2035: 896.9 thousand; +9.2%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=47-2111&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
37. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 47-2111 Electricians: probability 0.15, rank 192 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
38. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 47-2111.00, human-rated β 0.146)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

39. [IEEE ETHW — "Pearl Street Station: The Birth of the Electric Power Industry" (September 4, 1882)](https://ethw.org/Pearl_Street_Station), Engineering and Technology History Wiki / IEEE
40. [IBEW — "IBEW History: The Early Years" (November 28, 1891 founding in St. Louis)](https://ibew.org/history-committee-recognizes-minn-locals-roots/), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
41. [Wikipedia — "National Electrical Code" (NEC first published 1897, updated every three years, ANSI standard 70)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electrical_Code), Wikipedia
42. [National Archives — Record Group 221: Records of the Rural Electrification Administration, 1934-1973 (finding aid; REA established 1935, abolished 1994 with functions transferred to Rural Utility Service)](https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/221.html), National Archives and Records Administration
43. [Electrical Safety Foundation International — "Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters" (GFCI virtual demonstration: GFCIs have saved thousands of lives, cut power before electrical shock can occur)](https://www.esfi.org/gfci-virtual-demonstration/), Electrical Safety Foundation International
44. [BLS OEWS May 2010 — 47-2111 Electricians (514,760 employment) (national flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
45. [US Congress — Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376, signed August 16, 2022; clean energy tax credit provisions)](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376), US Congress
46. [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electricians (2024 data: +11% outlook, EV/solar/datacenter demand cited)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

47. [IBEW — "IBEW History: The Early Years" (wiremen drawn from telegraph and telephone industries)](https://ibew.org/history-committee-recognizes-minn-locals-roots/), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
48. [Wikipedia — "United States Army Signal Corps" (WWII training: Fort Monmouth plus Camp Crowder/Kohler/Murphy, 21,033 officers graduated 1941-1946; communications and electronics training creating post-war civilian workforce)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Signal_Corps), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Electricians (47-2111.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, knowledge requirements](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2111.00), accessed 2026-05-28
- [BLS OOH — Electricians: 762,600 employed 2023; +11% growth 2023-33; 80,200 annual openings; median annual wage $61,590](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm), accessed 2026-05-28
- [BLS OEWS May 2023 — Electricians: 747,430 employed; median hourly $29.61; 90th percentile $47.88 ($99,590/yr)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Frey & Osborne 2013 — "The Future of Employment": Electricians automation probability 0.15 (low); physical dexterity + confined-space perception cited as key bottleneck](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), accessed 2026-05-28
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): Electricians have very low LLM task-exposure; physical execution tasks dominate work time; estimating/code interpretation modestly LLM-adjacent](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-28
- [NECA 2024 Workforce Study — U.S. electrical construction industry needs ~73,000 new electricians per year through 2030; demand driven by grid modernization, data centers, and EV infrastructure](https://www.necanet.org/industry-data/workforce), accessed 2026-05-28
- [McKinsey "America's Electrification Challenge" 2024 — clean energy transition requires 2-4x more licensed electricians than currently supplied; workforce is the binding constraint](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/americas-energy-future-the-labor-challenge), accessed 2026-05-28
- [AFDC — National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program: $7.5B federal funding to states for EV charging infrastructure deployment; acquisition and installation of EV chargers requires licensed electrical permit work](https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/12744), accessed 2026-06-21
- [ConEst Software — AI-assisted takeoff feature GA 2024; automatically counts devices and measures wire runs from electrical PDFs; 40,000+ licensed users](https://conest.com/electrical-estimating-software/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [McCormick Estimating — electrical, plumbing, and mechanical estimating platform trusted for over 45 years; used by union electrical contractors for digital takeoff and bid preparation](https://www.mccormickestimating.com/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Augury — Machine Health Intelligence platform: AI-powered vibration, ultrasound, and temperature sensors detect incipient motor and pump failures; deployed by electricians and maintenance teams in commercial/industrial facilities](https://www.augury.com/), accessed 2026-05-28
- [ServiceTitan — electrical contractor software for dispatch, estimating, invoicing, and customer communication; used by residential and commercial electrical service companies](https://www.servicetitan.com/industries/electrical-software), accessed 2026-06-21

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