Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RC

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.

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

O*NET 49-2022.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $63,890; Middle half earn $51,830 to $81,690. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
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.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.8 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.5 / 5
Active Listening3.5 / 5
Monitoring3.5 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Active Learning3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Telecommunications4.5 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.9 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.7 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.3 / 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.

Realistic90
Investigative24
Artistic0
Social14
Enterprising10
Conventional64

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)

telecommunications engineer · DE Telekommunikationsingenieur/Telekommunikationsingenieurin · FR ingénieur de télécommunications/ingénieure de télécommunications
telecommunications analyst · DE Telekommunikationsanalyst/Telekommunikationsanalystin · FR analyste des télécommunications
telecommunications engineering technician · DE Maschinenbautechniker im Bereich Telekommunikation/Maschinenbautechnikerin im Bereich Telekommunikation · FR technicien en télécommunications/technicienne en télécommunications
cable jointer · DE Kabelmonteur/Kabelmonteurin · FR installateur de câbles/installatrice de câbles
communication infrastructure maintainer · DE Servicetechniker für Kommunikationsinfrastrukturen/Servicetechnikerin für Kommunikationsinfrastrukturen · FR agent de maintenance des infrastructures de télécommunications/agente de maintenance des infrastructures de télécommunications
mobile phone repair technician · DE Kundendiensttechniker – Mobiltelefone/Kundendiensttechnikerin - Mobiltelefone · FR réparateur de téléphones portables/réparatrice de téléphones portables

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Telecoms and related network installers and repairers (5242)36,900 employed
Computer system and equipment installers and servicers (5244)41,000 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 “Craft and related trades workers”. 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, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

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 lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.85. 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 (49-2022).

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