New Study Estimates Over 160,000 Jobs to be Created by U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Buildout by 2032

(Washington, DC) 23 January 2024 — Today, the International Council on Clean Transportation released a groundbreaking study, projecting the significant job opportunities to be created by the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the United States. The report explores the labor demands that will arise due to the rapid growth of the EV market and the need for an extensive charging network to support this transition.

The shift towards electric vehicles has ushered in a transformative period for the automotive industry. There are multiple job categories that will see increased demand, including in the installation and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure and the production of EV charging infrastructure components. Accurate projections of these job requirements are essential for planning strategies to ensure a steady supply of skilled workers and to maximize the economic benefits of this transition.

“Electric vehicle adoption and charging infrastructure expansion are inextricably linked. To ensure the success of this transition and meet climate change mitigation goals, it’s imperative that charging infrastructure development keeps pace with EV adoption. The good news is it will also create a lot of jobs,” said Peter Slowik, from The International Council on Clean Transportation.

The International Council on Clean Transportation worked closely on the study with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), a labor organization representing more than 820,000 members working in the electrical industry in the United States and Canada. ”The future of work is electric, and the IBEW is excited to see the significant job opportunities that will be created for electricians in the installation, maintenance, and repair of EV charging infrastructure. Highly-skilled and trained electricians are essential to the safe and efficient deployment of EV charging infrastructure, and we’re committed to ensuring that these jobs are high road union jobs,” stated Kenneth W. Cooper, International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

Key Findings:

• The growth of charging infrastructure could create more than 160,000 jobs by 2032 in the job categories of electrical installation, maintenance and repair, software maintenance and repair, planning and design, charger assembly, general construction labor, administration, and legal. Notably, more than 78,000 jobs, or close to 50% of total jobs needed, will be electrical installation, maintenance and repair jobs. A majority of these new jobs will support electric light-duty vehicle (LDV) infrastructure needs (90%), while the remaining 10% will support electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) infrastructure growth.
• Electric vehicle charging infrastructure buildout needs to accelerate in unison with EV uptake. By 2032, approximately 4.1 million non-home chargers and 37.4 million residential chargers will be needed to support the LDV fleet. Non-home chargers include workplace Level 2 chargers, public Level 2, and public DC fast chargers. Home chargers consist of multifamily home chargers and single-family home chargers. By 2032, approximately 29,000 ultra-fast and fast chargers, and 500,000 overnight chargers will be needed to support the MHDV fleet.
• Additional job creation is possible from increased domestic production. We estimate that about 33% of level 2 chargers and 100% DC fast chargers will undergo final assembly in the U.S., creating more than 13,000 jobs in charger assembly by 2032. This number does not account for jobs in charger component production and assembly, which carries the potential for even greater job growth.
• With the right policies in place to help maximize the economic and social benefits of public investments in charging infrastructure, EV charging infrastructure development can create high-road jobs with competitive wages and benefits and have a significant positive impact on local economies.

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Media Contact: Kelli Pennington

Publication details
Charging up America: The growth of United States electric vehicle charging infrastructure jobs
Authors: Anh Bui, Logan Pierce, Pierre-Louis Ragon, Arijit Sen, and Peter Slowik (ICCT), Taylor Waites (IBEW)
Download: theicct.org/publication/US-EV-charging-infrastructure-jobs-jan24

About the International Council on Clean Transportation
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is an independent research organization providing first-rate, unbiased research and technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators. Our mission is to improve the environmental performance and energy efficiency of road, marine, and air transportation, in order to benefit public health and mitigate climate change. Founded in 2001, we are a nonprofit organization working under grants and contracts from private foundations and public institutions.

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