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.
Most important skills
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Installation
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
Key knowledge
- Telecommunications
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Engineering and Technology
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- 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.
- Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
- Drive crew trucks to and from work areas.
- Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.
- Repair or replace faulty equipment, such as defective and damaged telephones, wires, switching system components, and associated equipment.
- Remove and remake connections to change circuit layouts, following work orders or diagrams.
- Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (41.3% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- None (42.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (23.9%)
- 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 Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
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.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 69% of occupations compared | 64% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Very high | Higher on dealing with the public than 89% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Moderate | Higher on teamwork than 50% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 68% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Lower on time pressure than 51% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 73% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 60% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Lower on consequence of error than 51% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- 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
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 8.25%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0%
- Contact with others most of the time: 63.77%
- Constant contact with others: 27.98%
n = 22, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 9.71%
- Very important: 35.94%
- Extremely important: 54.35%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 15.77%
- Very important: 38.84%
- Extremely important: 45.39%
n = 22, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 7.89%
- Limited freedom: 0.79%
- Some freedom: 41.53%
- A lot of freedom: 49.79%
n = 22, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 4.84%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 25.49%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 49.89%
- Every day: 19.78%
n = 22, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 0.79%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 23.35%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 42.7%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 22.75%
- Every day: 10.4%
n = 22, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 8.96%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 22.51%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 41.2%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 18.77%
- Every day: 8.56%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 7.89%
- Fairly serious: 46.03%
- Serious: 15.47%
- Very serious: 5.63%
- Extremely serious: 24.99%
n = 22, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 49-2022.00 · SOC 49-2022 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8