What Does a Telecommunications Technician Do?
Above the ceiling tiles of offices and hospitals, telecommunications technicians pull and label the copper and fiber cable that carries phone calls, alarms and video links. They also install and program VoIP (internet phone) systems, test each circuit and restore service when a line goes down, for universities, hospitals, phone carriers and large employers. Emergency phones depend on that work.
Also known as: Principal Telecommunications Technician, Senior Telecommunications Technician
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Broadband Technician, Central Office Technician, Combination Technician, Customer Service Technician (CST), Field Technician, Install and Repair Technician, Installer, Outside Plant Technician.
Telecommunications Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a telecommunications technician include:
- Install and configure VoIP phones, voicemail and call routing for new users and departments.
- Pull, terminate and label copper and fiber optic cable in telecom rooms and ceilings.
- Test circuits and fiber runs with cable certifiers, toners and OTDR equipment.
- Diagnose outages and restore phone, data and wireless service with as little downtime as possible.
- Program PBX and VoIP systems for the moves, adds and changes that departments request.
- Keep records of cable paths, patch panel assignments and equipment locations current.
- Inspect emergency phones, elevator phone lines and alarm circuits on a regular schedule.
- Mount wireless access points, antennas and network switches in ceilings and equipment racks.
- Coordinate with contractors and carriers on new building wiring and service cutovers.
- Train staff to use new handsets, conference room systems and voicemail features.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a telecommunications technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Structured cabling standards and fiber optic termination
- VoIP, PBX and basic IP networking
- Cable certifiers, multimeters and OTDR testers
- BICSI or fiber optic installer certification, valued by many employers
- Comfort on ladders, in crawl spaces and in cramped equipment rooms
- Methodical fault finding under time pressure
- Accurate records of every cable run and change
- Patient, courteous service for staff whose phones are down
Education and Training
A certificate program in electronics, networking or telecommunications is the most common route, which fits the postsecondary award BLS reports as typical for the trade. Pulling cable for a contractor is another way in, with the rest learned on the job. Fiber optic and VoIP certifications strengthen an application, and senior and principal technicians go on to plan projects and lead installation crews.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $51,830 - $81,690 per year, with a median of $63,890.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers.
BLS projects employment of telecommunications equipment installers and repairers to decline about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. Even so, the group should see roughly 11,300 openings a year as workers retire or change careers. While older phone switches are being retired, technicians who handle VoIP, fiber and wireless are more likely to find steady work.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers.
Telecommunications Technician Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $44,240 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $51,830 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $63,890 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $81,690 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $96,730 |
Highest-Paying States for Telecommunications Technicians
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Alaska ($95,850), North Dakota ($90,890), New Hampshire ($85,240), Vermont ($81,800), Louisiana ($80,210). Pay is lowest in Missouri ($57,610), Oklahoma ($50,350), Arkansas ($49,740).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,770 |
| Alaska | $95,850 |
| Arizona | $72,710 |
| Arkansas | $49,740 |
| California | $76,630 |
| Colorado | $76,410 |
| Connecticut | $75,200 |
| Delaware | $66,670 |
| District of Columbia | $73,130 |
| Florida | $61,030 |
| Georgia | $64,900 |
| Hawaii | $79,250 |
| Idaho | $62,440 |
| Illinois | $64,630 |
| Indiana | $61,030 |
| Iowa | $65,710 |
| Kansas | $58,690 |
| Kentucky | $59,700 |
| Louisiana | $80,210 |
| Maine | $61,720 |
| Maryland | $63,050 |
| Massachusetts | $76,500 |
| Michigan | $61,700 |
| Minnesota | $75,150 |
| Mississippi | $61,250 |
| Missouri | $57,610 |
| Montana | $73,970 |
| Nebraska | $60,520 |
| Nevada | $62,800 |
| New Hampshire | $85,240 |
| New Jersey | $78,000 |
| New Mexico | $63,600 |
| New York | $67,710 |
| North Carolina | $63,970 |
| North Dakota | $90,890 |
| Ohio | $61,680 |
| Oklahoma | $50,350 |
| Oregon | $75,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,960 |
| Rhode Island | $66,960 |
| South Carolina | $61,480 |
| South Dakota | $62,000 |
| Tennessee | $61,220 |
| Texas | $59,370 |
| Utah | $65,650 |
| Vermont | $81,800 |
| Virginia | $61,340 |
| Washington | $77,610 |
| West Virginia | $63,560 |
| Wisconsin | $60,770 |
| Wyoming | $60,250 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 79% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 79% are on the phone every day
- 79% use email every day
- 79% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 66% work outdoors in all kinds of weather every day
- 66% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 63% spend more than half the workday on their feet
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 43% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 21% |
| Some college | 10% |
| Associate's degree | 8% |
Tools and Software Telecommunications Technicians Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Troubleshooting, Repairing, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Telecommunications, Computers and Electronics, English Language, Mathematics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 49-2022.00 (Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.