Browse Skills printed circuit boards

printed circuit boards

🏛️ Enduring ESCO reuse: cross-sector

Printed circuit boards (PCB) are essential components to almost all electronic devices. They consist of thin wafers or substrates on which electronic components, such as microchips, are placed. The electronic components are electrically connected through conductive tracks and pads.

printed circuit boards — printed circuit boards (PCB) are essential components to almost all electronic devices. They consist of thin wafers or substrates on which electronic components, such as microchips, are placed. McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the enduring band (SCI 50.0/100) — a human-connection anchor whose value is projected to hold or grow through 2030. ESCO classifies it as a cross-sector (useful across many industries) skill within knowledge. It is currently listed by 12 occupations in our catalogue, including Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers, automated optical inspection operator, electronics drafter, and electronics engineering technician.

Category: knowledge › database and network design and administration SCI: 50.0/100 Also known as: circuit boards, assembled PCB, PCB, electronic circuit boards, assembled printed circuit board, PCBs

Occupations that require printed circuit boards

Showing top 12 of 12 occupations · ranked by India employment volume, then AI-durability.

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers · 🤖 2.9/10
automated optical inspection operator · 🤖 5.0/10
electronics drafter · 🤖 5.0/10
electronics engineering technician · 🤖 5.0/10
marine electronics technician · 🤖 5.0/10
marine mechatronics technician · 🤖 5.0/10
microelectronics designer · 🤖 5.0/10
surface-mount technology machine operator · 🤖 5.0/10
wave soldering machine operator · 🤖 5.0/10
printed circuit board assembler · 🤖 5.5/10
printed circuit board designer · 🤖 5.5/10
printed circuit board test technician · 🤖 5.5/10

Frequently asked questions

What is printed circuit boards?

Printed circuit boards (PCB) are essential components to almost all electronic devices. They consist of thin wafers or substrates on which electronic components, such as microchips, are placed. The electronic components are electrically connected through conductive tracks and pads.

What category of skill is printed circuit boards?

ESCO classifies printed circuit boards under the knowledge category, specifically in the database and network design and administration subcategory.

Is printed circuit boards an AI-durable skill?

McKinsey's Skill Change Index places it in the enduring band (SCI 50.0/100) — a human-connection anchor whose value is projected to hold or grow through 2030. This is a durable skill to invest in — high human-connection skills consistently resist automation.

Which jobs require printed circuit boards?

In our catalogue, 12 occupations list printed circuit boards as a required or important skill. The top occupations by employment volume include Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers, automated optical inspection operator, electronics drafter, electronics engineering technician, marine electronics technician, marine mechatronics technician.

How transferable is printed circuit boards between industries?

ESCO tags printed circuit boards as a cross-sector (useful across many industries) skill — a signal of how portable it is when you change field.

Is printed circuit boards the same as circuit boards?

Yes — printed circuit boards is also known as circuit boards, assembled PCB, PCB, electronic circuit boards, assembled printed circuit board, PCBs, bare PCB, or bare printed circuit board. They refer to the same underlying capability in the ESCO taxonomy.

How can I learn printed circuit boards?

The most reliable path is to pick a job or project that demands printed circuit boards and learn through delivery. Complement that with role-specific roadmaps and short courses. Explore the occupations below to see where this skill is used in practice.

Data: ESCO v1.2.1 (CC-BY-4.0). Durability framework informed by McKinsey Global Institute (Nov 2025). See our methodology.