Telecommunications Engineering Specialists

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

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Writing
Complex Problem Solving
Speaking
Active Learning
Monitoring

Key knowledge

Telecommunications
Computers and Electronics
Engineering and Technology
English Language
Design
Customer and Personal Service
Public Safety and Security
Mathematics

What the work involves

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.
Estimate costs for system or component implementation and operation.
Develop, maintain, or implement telecommunications disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
Test and evaluate hardware and software to determine efficiency, reliability, or compatibility with existing systems.
Supervise maintenance of telecommunications equipment.
Review and evaluate requests from engineers, managers, and technicians for system modifications.
Provide user support by diagnosing network and device problems and implementing technical or procedural solutions.
Prepare system activity and performance reports.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Realistic, Investigative.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (32.3% of expert ratings)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (38.7%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (25.8%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Telecommunications Engineering Specialists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 15-1241 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Moderate	Lower on contact with others than 53% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Moderate	Higher on dealing with the public than 59% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 61% of occupations compared	53% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 50% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	High	Higher on time pressure than 64% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Lower on conflict situations than 52% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 68% of occupations compared	37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Consequence of error	Moderate	Higher on consequence of error than 56% of occupations compared	29% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: high
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: moderate

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions