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Telecommunications carriers
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
Home / All Jobs / Trades / Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers
These workers install, test, and repair the equipment that keeps phone, data, and network connections working, often in offices, utility spaces, on poles, or underground vaults. The job mixes electronics troubleshooting with hands-on field work, so a day can shift from replacing a circuit module to climbing into a cramped access point or coordinating by radio with dispatch. The payoff is decent pay for a credential-based trade, but the work is physical, weather-dependent, and tied to a shrinking job market.
Also known as Telecom InstallerTelecom Repair TechnicianCommunications Equipment TechnicianNetwork Equipment InstallerTelecommunications Field Technician
Median Salary
$62,630
Mean $66,650
U.S. Workforce
~154K
13.2K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-4.2%
156.9K to 150.4K
Entry Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~154K workers, with a median annual pay of $62,630 and roughly 13.2K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 156.9 K in 2024 to 150.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma plus on-the-job training, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Telecommunications Installer Helper and can progress toward Field Supervisor / Lead Technician. High-value skills usually include Repairing, Troubleshooting, and Network Test Equipment, Multimeters & OTDRs, paired with soft skills such as Active listening, Critical thinking, and Problem-solving.
Core Responsibilities
- Install phone, data, and network gear, including wiring, switches, power equipment, and other hardware needed to get a connection running.
- Use test tools to check systems, find faults, and make sure repaired equipment is working the way it should.
- Climb poles, work from bucket trucks, and enter tight spaces like manholes or cable vaults to reach equipment.
- Swap out damaged circuit boards, plug-in modules, and other parts that are causing problems.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Install phone, data, and network gear, including wiring, switches, power equipment, and other hardware needed to get a connection running.
02 Use test tools to check systems, find faults, and make sure repaired equipment is working the way it should.
03 Climb poles, work from bucket trucks, and enter tight spaces like manholes or cable vaults to reach equipment.
04 Swap out damaged circuit boards, plug-in modules, and other parts that are causing problems.
05 Talk with dispatchers, supervisors, or other technicians by phone or radio to get instructions and report status updates.
06 Clean up the site, maintain tools and vehicles, and remove leftover wire, debris, or scrap after the job is done.
Industries That Hire
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Cable and broadband providers
Comcast, Charter Communications, Cox Communications
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Network equipment manufacturers
Cisco, Nokia, Ericsson
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Communications contractors
Quanta Services, MasTec, Dycom Industries
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Data centers and cloud infrastructure
Amazon Web Services, Equinix, Digital Realty
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is solid for a trade job: the mean annual wage is $66,650 and the median is $62,630, and many workers enter with only a postsecondary nondegree award.
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There are still plenty of openings, with about 13.2K annual job openings even though the occupation is projected to decline overall.
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You can get into the field without years of college; BLS lists no prior work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training.
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The skills travel well across telecom, cable, contractor, and data-center settings, especially troubleshooting, cabling, and equipment testing.
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The work is hands-on and varied, which can be more engaging than a desk job if you like solving problems in the field.
Challenges
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The long-term outlook is weak: employment is projected to fall 4.2% and drop by 6.6K jobs by 2034.
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A lot of the job is physically demanding and sometimes risky, including climbing, working from bucket trucks, and entering manholes or cable vaults.
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It is not a remote-friendly career, so your schedule can be affected by weather, traffic, outages, and travel between sites.
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More network monitoring and automation can reduce the amount of routine field repair work, which creates a structural squeeze on demand.
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The pay can plateau unless you move into lead, supervisory, or highly specialized fiber/network work, so the ceiling may feel limited for the physical effort involved.
Career Progression
Telecommunications Installer Helper
0-2 years
$34K-$42K
Helps carry gear, pull cable, set up tools, and learn safety rules while working under close supervision.
Telecommunications Installer / Trainee
2-4 years
$43K-$54K
Handles routine installations and simple fixes more independently, but still calls for help on harder faults or unusual equipment.
Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$55K-$72K
Takes on full field installs, testing, troubleshooting, and repairs; this band includes the role's median pay of $62,630.
Senior Telecommunications Technician
8-12 years
$73K-$90K
Handles complex outages, trains newer workers, and solves problems that need deeper equipment knowledge or faster judgment.
Field Supervisor / Lead Technician
12+ years
$91K-$112K
Plans jobs, checks quality, coordinates crews, and deals with customers or dispatch when bigger network problems come up.
Education Paths
High school diploma plus on-the-job training
The most common school background, used by 43.06% of workers, is a high school diploma paired with moderate-term on-the-job training.
Postsecondary nondegree award or certificate
A post-secondary certificate is also a common route, and 21.36% of workers report that level; it lines up with the BLS typical entry point of a postsecondary nondegree award.
Some college courses or an associate's degree
This college-based path is less common, with 10.38% reporting some college courses and 7.77% holding an associate's degree before entering the field.
Fiber optics or structured cabling certification
Short credentials in fiber optics, cabling, or vendor-specific equipment can help you break into the work even without a full degree, especially if you pair them with hands-on training.
Key Skills
Technical
Repairing 78%
Troubleshooting 78%
Network Test Equipment, Multimeters & OTDRs 76%
Operations Monitoring 72%
Quality Control Inspection 72%
Equipment Maintenance 70%
Fiber Optic Splicing, Cable Termination & Punch-Down Tools 70%
VoIP, Switches & Router Hardware 68%
Soft Skills
Active listeningCritical thinkingProblem-solvingClear communicationTeamworkAttention to detail Job Outlook and Trends
+-4.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
13.2K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 156.9K to 150.4 K over the next decade, representing -4.2% growth. Around 13.2 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.