Occupations · Computer and Mathematical

Telecommunications Engineering Specialists

Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 15-1241.01

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Consult with users, administrators, and engineers to identify business and technical requirements for proposed system modifications or technology purchases.
Implement system renovation projects in collaboration with technical staff, engineering consultants, installers, and vendors.
Keep abreast of changes in industry practices and emerging telecommunications technology by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
Review and evaluate requests from engineers, managers, and technicians for system modifications.
Implement controls to provide security for operating systems, software, and data.
Assess existing facilities' needs for new or modified telecommunications systems.
Develop, maintain, or implement telecommunications disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
Communicate with telecommunications vendors to obtain pricing and technical specifications for available hardware, software, or services.
Inspect sites to determine physical configuration, such as device locations and conduit pathways.
Document procedures for hardware and software installation and use.
Manage user access to systems and equipment through account management and password administration.
Install, or coordinate installation of, new or modified hardware, software, or programming modules of telecommunications systems.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Critical Thinking3.6

Active Listening3.6

Reading Comprehension3.6

Active Learning3.4

Speaking3.2

Writing3.2

Monitoring3.1

Mathematics3.0

Learning Strategies2.9

Science1.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Apache Kafka●Autodesk AutoCAD●Autodesk Revit●Linux●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft PowerShell●Microsoft Project●Microsoft SQL Server●Microsoft Teams●Microsoft Visio●Microsoft Windows●Microsoft Windows Server●Microsoft Word●Oracle Java●Perl●Python●Shell script●Structured query language SQL●UNIX●2AB iLock Security ServicesAccess management softwareAntivirus softwareAutodesk NavisworksAvaya Identity EnginesCall accounting software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

3 / 5Medium preparation — vocational training or an associate degree, plus 1–2 years of work.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions−1.1 below average

E-Mail+1.0 above average

Exposed to Contaminants−1.0 below average

Telephone Conversations+0.9 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−0.9 below average

Written Letters and Memos+0.6 above average

Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment−0.6 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2020-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)24%

Bachelor's Degree19%

Some College Courses14%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.14%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2020-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Conventional5.0

Realistic4.5

Investigative4.3

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Systems Evaluation3.1

Social Perceptiveness3.1

Complex Problem Solving3.1

Judgment and Decision Making3.1

Operations Monitoring3.1

Systems Analysis3.1

Service Orientation3.0

Quality Control Analysis3.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

TelecommunicationsComputers and ElectronicsEngineering and TechnologyEnglish LanguageMathematicsCustomer and Personal Service

Abilities it leans on

Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityWritten ComprehensionNear VisionInformation Ordering

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

EngineerField EngineerVoice EngineerNetwork EngineerMessaging EngineerCommunications AnalystInfrastructure EngineerCommunications EngineerElectrical Design EngineerCommunications Network EngineerCommunications Systems EngineerUnified Communications EngineerTelecommunications Systems EngineerTelecommunications Network Engineer

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

Get this as a personal report

The same sourced evidence, recut for the closest published view of your city, state or industry, as a dated PDF.

Free page vs. the $29 report

The page above is a public national reference: it is the same for every reader. The $29 report uses the location or industry you name, states the exact BLS cut used, and packages five decision-focused sections as a PDF. Choose $49 when you need a broader comparison of industries, places, changes and next moves.

$29Occupation reportPay where you are, conditions, preparation, education, what you carry into another job.$49Professional reportAdds two decades of pay, industries, geography, what changed, adjacent occupations and what to study.$99International offerAdds named employers and their actual rates from visa filings, the seniority pay ladder and the cities that hire.

Compare the three reports

What you learn	$29	$49	$99
What it pays in your city and industry	✓	✓	✓
Working conditions, preparation, education	✓	✓	✓
What you carry into another occupation	✓	✓	✓
What this job is called in postings	✓	✓	✓
How pay changed over the years	brief	✓	✓
Where the industry changes the number	—	✓	✓
Where the work actually is	—	✓	✓
What appeared and disappeared in the job	—	✓	✓
How long it takes to become competent	—	✓	✓
Where to move next and what to learn	—	✓	✓
What to study to get in	—	✓	✓
What the same work pays in Britain	—	—	✓
What the same work pays in Canada	—	—	✓
Who hires, by name, and at what rates	—	—	✓
The money ladder by skill level	—	—	✓
Cities that actually sponsor visas	—	—	✓
Sections in the report	5	12	19
Who it is for	If you are deciding whether this work is worth your time.	If you are in the occupation and deciding where to move next.	If you are aiming for an offer abroad.

EmailNameCity or stateIndustry (optional)

What decision are you making? (optional)

No payment is taken now. We reply with a secure payment link.

What changed since 2020

Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 10

+NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software+Autodesk Navisworks+Microsoft Exchange+Perl+Firewall software+Microsoft Teams+NavisWorks Jetstream+Apache Kafka+Autodesk Revit+Python

No longer listed 6

−Microsoft Exchange Server−Computer aided design CAD software−Symantec−Practical extraction and reporting language Perl−Data entry software−Spreadsheet software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

EngineerVoice EngineerField EngineerNetwork EngineerMessaging EngineerCommunications AnalystCommunications EngineerInfrastructure EngineerElectrical Design EngineerCommunications Network EngineerUnified Communications EngineerCommunications Systems Engineer

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
telecommunications engineer	2153.1	exact
telecommunications engineering technician	3522.1	broader
ICT network engineer	2523.3	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

Keep exploring

See labor-market evidence in motion.

Watch short Tamhu stories about pay, growth and how work changes — then return to the source data here.

Watch on YouTube →

Watch this occupation

This job has changed before and it will change again. We'll email you when the data moves — a tool appears, a skill gains weight, the pay distribution shifts. Free, and one click to stop.

Check your inbox — your watch starts only after you confirm.

We send data, not advice. No sharing, no resale. Privacy