How to become a Transportation Equipment Electrical and Electronics Installer or Repairer

Official title: Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment

Also called: Critical Systems Technician, Electronic Bench Technician, Electronics Mechanic, Locomotive Electrician, Power Technician (Power Tech), Ship Yard Electrical Person

Install, adjust, or maintain mobile electronics communication equipment, including sound, sonar, security, navigation, and surveillance systems on trains, watercraft, or other mobile equipment.

Main tasks

• Inspect and test electrical systems and equipment to locate and diagnose malfunctions, using visual inspections, testing devices, and computer software.
• Reassemble and test equipment after repairs.
• Adjust, repair, or replace defective wiring and relays in ignition, lighting, air-conditioning, and safety control systems, using electrician's tools.
• Splice wires with knives or cutting pliers, and solder connections to fixtures, outlets, and equipment.
• Locate and remove or repair circuit defects such as blown fuses or malfunctioning transistors.
• Maintain equipment service records.
• Refer to schematics and manufacturers' specifications that show connections and provide instructions on how to locate problems.
• Install fixtures, outlets, terminal boards, switches, and wall boxes, using hand tools.

How to become one

Electrical and electronics installers and repairers typically need at least a high school education, but most specializations require further preparation through a combination of advanced education, on-the-job training, or work experience.

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Electrician, Locomotive.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $84,890 a year The middle half earn $63,560 to $98,850.
• About 6,600 people work in this job now, and about 6,900 are projected by 2035. (+5.4%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Avionics Technicians
• Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
• Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles
• Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Transportation Equipment Electrical and Electronics Installer or Repairer?

Electrical and electronics installers and repairers typically need at least a high school education, but most specializations require further preparation through a combination of advanced education, on-the-job training, or work experience.

How much does a Transportation Equipment Electrical and Electronics Installer or Repairer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $84,890 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $63,560 to $98,850.

Is a Transportation Equipment Electrical and Electronics Installer or Repairer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 6,600 to about 6,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Transportation Equipment Electrical and Electronics Installer or Repairer?

Usually not. Only 11% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Electrician, Locomotive.

Will AI change the work of a Transportation Equipment Electrical and Electronics Installer or Repairer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.