Electrical and Electronic Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

How to become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer, Repairer or Except Line Installer

Official title: Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers

Also called: Broadband Technician (Broadband Tech), Combination Technician (Combination Tech), Customer Service Technician (CST), Installer, Network Technician (Network Tech), Outside Plant Technician (Outside Plant Tech), Repair Technician (Repair Tech), Service Technician (Service Tech), Telecommunications Technician (Telecommunications Tech), Telephone Technician (Phone Tech)

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.

Main tasks

Note differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly.
Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
Drive crew trucks to and from work areas.
Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses.
Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.
Collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions.
Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.

How to become one

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 education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

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

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Automatic-Equipment Technician.
Apprenticeship: Equipment Installer (Tel & Tel).
Apprenticeship: Station Installer & Repairer.
Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Communications Systems Installation and Repair Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $63,890 a year The middle half earn $51,830 to $81,690.
About 143,100 people work in this job now, and about 138,400 are projected by 2035. (-3.3%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer, Repairer or Except Line Installer?

How much does a Telecommunications Equipment Installer, Repairer or Except Line Installer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $63,890 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $51,830 to $81,690.

Is a Telecommunications Equipment Installer, Repairer or Except Line Installer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 143,100 to about 138,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer, Repairer or Except Line Installer?

Usually not. Only 18% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Automatic-Equipment Technician.

Will AI change the work of a Telecommunications Equipment Installer, Repairer or Except Line Installer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

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.