State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers earn a median of $63,890 per year ($30.72/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 4.2% through 2034, with about 13,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
SOC 49-2022Installation, Maintenance, and RepairLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $63,890
- Projected growth
- -4.2%
- Openings a year
- 13,200
- Typical education
- Certificate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Broadband Technician, Central Office Technician, Combination Technician, Customer Service Technician (CST), Field Technician, Install and Repair Technician.
How much do Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers make?
10th percentile$44,240
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$51,830
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$63,890
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$81,690
Upper quartile
90th percentile$96,730
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $63,890 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $30.72/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $68,500 |
| People employed | 140,920 |
Versus all US occupations
At $63,890, Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers earn 25% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,910 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $60,460, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $96,730 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,240, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 49% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Alaska posts the highest raw median ($95,850), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $102,171 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $95,850 | $93,641 | 520 |
| North Dakota | $90,890 | $102,171 | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $85,240 | $81,832 | 550 |
| Vermont | $81,800 | $83,505 | 310 |
| Louisiana | $80,210 | $90,934 | 3,060 |
| Hawaii | $79,250 | $72,078 | 760 |
| New Jersey | $78,000 | $71,688 | 2,690 |
| Washington | $77,610 | $72,524 | 3,210 |
| California | $76,630 | $69,211 | 14,040 |
| Massachusetts | $76,500 | $72,336 | 2,890 |
Is Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers a growing career?
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers-4.2%
All US occupations3.1%
-4.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers to change -4.2% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 6,600 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 13,200 openings are projected each year, 8.4% of the 156,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of telecommunications technicians is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of telecommunications technicians varies by occupation (see table).
Demand for radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers is expected to increase due to continued growth in the construction of power and communications line and related structures.
How to become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers
Telecommunications technicians typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a certificate or associate’s degree. These workers also receive on-the-job training.
| Typical entry-level education | Postsecondary nondegree award |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers.
- High School Diploma43.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate21.4%
- Bachelor's Degree17.4%
- Some College Courses10.4%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)7.8%
What does a Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers do?
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.
Telecommunications technicians, also known as telecom technicians, install and maintain telecommunications infrastructure. They set up and fix different types of devices or equipment that carry communications signals, such as internet routers and fiber optic lines.
Day-to-day tasks
- Collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions.
- Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
- Repair or replace faulty equipment, such as defective and damaged telephones, wires, switching system components, and associated equipment.
- Clean and maintain tools, test equipment, and motor vehicles.
- Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
- Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
- Test connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function.
- Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking3.6/5
- Active Listening3.5/5
- Reading Comprehension3.4/5
- Monitoring3.4/5
- Speaking3.3/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Troubleshooting3.9/5
- Repairing3.9/5
- Operations Monitoring3.6/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.6/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Installation3.3/5
- Operation and Control3.3/5
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Communications server software
- Expert system software
- Geographic information system
- Industrial control software
- Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.4
Investigative2.4
Artistic1.0
Social1.8
Enterprising1.6
Conventionalprimary4.8
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers: frequently asked questions
How much do Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers make?
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers earn a median of $63,890 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $30.72/hr. The middle half earn between $51,830 and $81,690. The top 10% earn $96,730 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialled training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or licence programme) as the typical entry route for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 43.1% hold high school diploma.
Is Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 4.2% over 2024–2034, a loss of 6,600 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 13,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers do?
Telecommunications technicians, also known as telecom technicians, install and maintain telecommunications infrastructure. A core O*NET task: collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers the most?
The highest state medians for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers are Alaska ($95,850), North Dakota ($90,890), New Hampshire ($85,240) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $102,171.
What personality type suits a Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer, Except Line Installers?
O*NET scores Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.