Occupations · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 49-2022.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 30% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $65,250 | 7,400 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $58,590 | 6,100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $74,080 | 4,790 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $58,690 | 4,750 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $67,310 | 4,410 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $57,740 | 3,710 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $61,480 | 3,680 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $62,870 | 2,500 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $75,260 | 2,490 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $71,200 | 2,130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $85,670 | 2,070 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $67,820 | 1,890 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
- Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
- Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
- Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.
- Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses.
- Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
- Drive crew trucks to and from work areas.
- Test connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function.
- Note differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly.
- Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.
- Collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions.
- Remove loose wires and other debris after work is completed.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
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.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
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.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 10
No longer listed 1
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”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| telecommunications technician | 7422.7 | exact |
| telecommunications equipment maintainer | 7422.6 | close |
| telecommunications engineering technician | 3522.1 | close |
| communication infrastructure maintainer | 7422.1 | close |
| cable jointer | 7413.1.1 | close |
| radio technician | 7422.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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