How to become a Telecommunications Field Engineer

Plans, designs, commissions and monitors complex telecommunications networks and associated equipment, provides technical advice and information, and identifies complex problems and initiates action to resolve them.

Main tasks

• Plans and designs telecommunications networks and associated equipment
• Commissions and monitors the installation of telecommunications networks and equipment
• Provides technical advice and information to clients and colleagues
• Identifies complex problems in telecommunications networks and equipment
• Initiates action to resolve complex problems in telecommunications networks and equipment
• Tests and evaluates the performance of telecommunications networks and equipment

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Diploma of Electronics and Communications Engineering (UEE50520); Advanced Diploma of Electronics and Communications Engineering (UEE60220); Certificate III in Electronics and Communications (UEE30920); Certificate III in Engineering - Electronic Trade (MEM30422); Certificate IV in Rail - Communications and Network Systems (UEE41720)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $118,872 a year
• About 3,800 people work in this job group now, and about 4,300 are projected by 2035. (+13.7%)
• AI is likely to change parts of this job. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as medium.

Related jobs

• ICT Hardware Technician
• Radiocommunications Technician
• Telecommunications Network Designer
• Telecommunications Technical Officer or Technologist
• Web Administrator

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Telecommunications Field Engineer?

Ways in include: Diploma of Electronics and Communications Engineering; Advanced Diploma of Electronics and Communications Engineering.

How much does a Telecommunications Field Engineer earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $118,872 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Telecommunications Field Engineer a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 14% by 2035, from about 3,800 to about 4,300 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Telecommunications Field Engineer?

Not always. 25% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Diploma of Electronics and Communications Engineering; Advanced Diploma of Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Will AI change the work of a Telecommunications Field Engineer?

AI is likely to change parts of this job. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as medium.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04