Life As a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer
Career Description 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.
List of Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer Job Duties
- Clean switches and replace contact points, using vacuum hoses, solvents, and hand tools.
- Measure distances from landmarks to identify exact installation sites for equipment.
- Perform routine maintenance on equipment, including adjusting and lubricating components, and painting worn or exposed areas.
- Enter codes needed to correct electronic switching system programming.
- Provide input into the design and manufacturing of new equipment.
- Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer?
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Equipment Tester
- Rigger
- Telecommunication Equipment Repairer
- Plant Technician
- PBX Mechanic (Private Branch Exchange Mechanic)
Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 237,600 jobs in the United States for Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer. The BLS estimates 21,900 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer are Utah, Nevada, and Rhode Island. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Vermont, or Alabama. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer
The typical yearly salary for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers is somewhere between $32,440 and $82,860.

Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or New York, make the highest salaries.
How much do Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $57,270 |
Alaska | $73,620 |
Arizona | $59,080 |
Arkansas | $45,830 |
California | $60,110 |
Colorado | $64,050 |
Connecticut | $68,300 |
Delaware | $58,350 |
District of Columbia | $83,370 |
Florida | $52,190 |
Georgia | $53,560 |
Hawaii | $63,610 |
Idaho | $54,140 |
Illinois | $60,840 |
Indiana | $52,610 |
Iowa | $52,470 |
Kansas | $51,580 |
Kentucky | $50,670 |
Louisiana | $55,130 |
Maine | $57,510 |
Maryland | $57,820 |
Massachusetts | $74,930 |
Michigan | $54,520 |
Minnesota | $57,650 |
Mississippi | $51,230 |
Missouri | $51,760 |
Montana | $61,290 |
Nebraska | $52,210 |
Nevada | $53,230 |
New Hampshire | $71,390 |
New Jersey | $66,170 |
New Mexico | $51,410 |
New York | $69,980 |
North Carolina | $54,390 |
North Dakota | $63,360 |
Ohio | $54,390 |
Oklahoma | $48,010 |
Oregon | $58,600 |
Pennsylvania | $56,750 |
Rhode Island | $66,070 |
South Carolina | $54,340 |
South Dakota | $62,300 |
Tennessee | $53,750 |
Texas | $51,360 |
Utah | $57,590 |
Vermont | $52,440 |
Virginia | $61,430 |
Washington | $63,970 |
West Virginia | $54,810 |
Wisconsin | $51,610 |
Wyoming | $59,160 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Data entry software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- IBM Domino
- Apache Struts
- Voice over internet protocol VoiP system software
- Cisco IOS
How to Become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer
What education or degrees do I need to become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer?

What work experience do I need to become a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer?

Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers Sector

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Career changers with experience as a Telecommunications Equipment Installer or Repairer sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Alexis P. Docherty, 49th Wing Public Affairs via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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