Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers

Install, repair, or adjust audio or television receivers, stereo systems, camcorders, video systems, or other electronic entertainment equipment in homes or other venues. May perform routine maintenance.

Also called: Electronic Tech (Electronic Technician), Home Theater Installer, Installer, Satellite Installer, A/V Installation Tech (Audio Visual Installation Technician), A/V Installer (Audio Visual Installer), Field Service Tech (Field Service Technician), TV Analyzer (Television Analyzer).

O*NET 49-2097.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $52,600; Middle half earn $44,490 to $67,300. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 38% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Install, service, and repair electronic equipment or instruments such as televisions, radios, and videocassette recorders.
Compute cost estimates for labor and materials.
Calibrate and test equipment, and locate circuit and component faults, using hand and power tools and measuring and testing instruments such as resistance meters and oscilloscopes.
Confer with customers to determine the nature of problems or to explain repairs.
Position or mount speakers, and wire speakers to consoles.
Instruct customers on the safe and proper use of equipment.
Make service calls to repair units in customers' homes, or return units to shops for major repairs.
Read and interpret electronic circuit diagrams, function block diagrams, specifications, engineering drawings, and service manuals.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Speaking3.4 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.1 / 5
Critical Thinking3.1 / 5
Active Learning2.9 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Computers and Electronics4.3 / 5
Customer and Personal Service4.1 / 5
Telecommunications3.3 / 5
Mechanical3.3 / 5
English Language3.2 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic98
Investigative27
Artistic11
Social11
Enterprising2
Conventional60

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

audio production technician · DE Tontechniker/Tontechnikerin · FR technicien de production son/technicienne de production son
audio-visual technician · DE Fachkraft AV-Medientechnik · FR technicien audiovisuel/technicienne audiovisuel
boom operator · DE Tonassistent/Tonassistentin · FR perchiste
sound operator · DE Soundtechniker/Soundtechnikerin · FR opérateur du son/opératrice du son
video technician · DE Videotechniker/Videotechnikerin · FR technicien vidéo/technicienne vidéo
performance rental technician · DE Veranstaltungstechniker (gemietetes Equipment)/Veranstaltungstechnikerin (gemietetes Equipment) · FR technicien matériel de location/technicienne matériel de location

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Computer system and equipment installers and servicers (5244)41,000 employed
Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (3417)81,300 employed
TV, video and audio servicers and repairers (5243)7,300 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.57. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-2097).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test