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Career overview · SOC 49-2022

Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers

Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers' property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings.

Also called: Broadband Technician · Central Office Technician · Combination Technician · Customer Service Technician (CST) · Field Technician · Install and Repair Technician

Median pay (national)
$62,630
$42,440–$94,970 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
153,890
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-4.2%
~13,200 openings/yr
Typical entry
Postsecondary nondegree award

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $94,970 versus $42,440 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $62,630 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 -4.2% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 13,200 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, Rhode Island pays the most for this role (median $111,540, +78% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $28,120 — a 297% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension 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 Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office 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.

  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Monitoring
  • Speaking
  • Active Learning
  • Writing
  • Learning Strategies
  • Mathematics
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
  • Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.
  • Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
  • Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.
  • Remove loose wires and other debris after work is completed.
  • Repair or replace faulty equipment, such as defective and damaged telephones, wires, switching system components, and associated equipment.
  • Communicate with bases, using telephones or two-way radios to receive instructions or technical advice, or to report equipment status.
  • Clean and maintain tools, test equipment, and motor vehicles.
  • Remove and replace plug-in circuit equipment.
  • Dig holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access.

Tools & technology

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Apache Struts
  • Cisco IOS
  • Firewall software
  • Fluke ClearSight Analyzer
  • Fluke Networks Fluke TechEXPERT
  • Fluke Networks TechAdvisor Field Access System
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • IBM Domino
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word

Knowledge areas

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Telecommunications
  • Computers and Electronics
  • English Language
  • Mathematics
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Mechanical
  • Engineering and Technology