Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.
Also called: Communications Engineer · Engineer · Infrastructure Engineer · Network Engineer · Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) · Telecommunication Design Analyst (Telecom Design Analyst)
Median pay (national)
$130,390
$79,520–$198,030 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
177,010
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+11.9%
~11,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for telecommunications engineering specialists shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $198,030 versus $79,520 at the bottom 10% — 2.5x. The median of $130,390 leaves roughly 52% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +11.9% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 11,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $155,890, +20% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $61,430 — a 154% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Navisworks, Autodesk Revit, Firewall software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Consult with users, administrators, and engineers to identify business and technical requirements for proposed system modifications or technology purchases.
- Implement system renovation projects in collaboration with technical staff, engineering consultants, installers, and vendors.
- Keep abreast of changes in industry practices and emerging telecommunications technology by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Review and evaluate requests from engineers, managers, and technicians for system modifications.
- Assess existing facilities' needs for new or modified telecommunications systems.
- Develop, maintain, or implement telecommunications disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
- Communicate with telecommunications vendors to obtain pricing and technical specifications for available hardware, software, or services.
- Inspect sites to determine physical configuration, such as device locations and conduit pathways.
- Document procedures for hardware and software installation and use.
- Install, or coordinate installation of, new or modified hardware, software, or programming modules of telecommunications systems.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk Navisworks
- Autodesk Revit
- Firewall software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft Word
- NavisWorks Jetstream
- Apache Kafka
- Linux
- Microsoft PowerShell
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Microsoft Teams
Knowledge areas
- Telecommunications
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administration and Management
- Design