Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers
SOC Code: 49-2021
Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers carries a 28% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $64,190 and +8.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 11,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 28% AI exposure, Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers sits 9 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 23% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
76/100
Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage C+ $64,190
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +8.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B+ 28% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Fast growth (67/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
28% Among the lowest lower than 77% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 49-2021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Inspect completed work to ensure all hardware is tight, antennas are level, hangers are properly fastened, proper support is in place, or adequate weather proofing has been installed.
- 2. Climb towers to access components, using safety equipment, such as full-body harnesses.
- 3. Run appropriate power, ground, or coaxial cables.
- 4. Test operation of tower transmission components, using sweep testing tools or software.
- 5. Install all necessary transmission equipment components, including antennas or antenna mounts, surge arrestors, transmission lines, connectors, or tower-mounted amplifiers (TMAs).
- 6. Read work orders, blueprints, plans, datasheets or site drawings to determine work to be done.
- 7. Climb communication towers to install, replace, or repair antennas or auxiliary equipment used to transmit and receive radio waves.
- 8. Replace existing antennas with new antennas as directed.
- 9. Lift equipment into position, using cranes and rigging tools or equipment, such as gin poles.
- 10. Bolt equipment into place, using hand or power tools.
Key Skills Required
- Repairing
- Installation
- Equipment Maintenance
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
Knowledge Areas
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Communications and Media
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers?
Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers has an AI exposure score of 28%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers is projected to grow by 8.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 11,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers?
Key skills for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers include Repairing, Installation, Equipment Maintenance, and others. Typical entry-level education is Associate's degree.
How much do Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers earn?
The median annual wage for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers is $64,190, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers?
The typical entry-level education for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers is Associate's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers?
Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (28% here).
- Acupuncturists · AI exposure 28%
- Advertising and promotions managers · AI exposure 28%
- Agricultural inspectors · AI exposure 28%
- Carpenters · AI exposure 28%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+8.6% here).
- Nurse anesthetists · growth +8.6%
- Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes · growth +8.7%
- Cargo and freight agents · growth +8.5%
- Computer systems analysts · growth +8.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 35 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).