Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
SOC Code: 49-2022
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers carries a 16% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $62,630 and -4.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 156,900 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 16% AI exposure, Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers sits 21 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 3% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
55/100
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers, 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 $62,630
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -4.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 16% 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers in the Low 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 Slow growth (245/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
16% Among the lowest lower than 97% 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.
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers 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
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers's Low 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 49-2022) 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers is a recognized registered apprenticeship occupation under the DOL RAPIDS system. Earn while you train, apprentices typically start at ~$16/hr and reach $28–$46/hr upon completion, depending on the specific trade and region.
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
- 2. Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
- 3. Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
- 4. Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.
- 5. Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
- 6. Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses.
- 7. Drive crew trucks to and from work areas.
- 8. Test connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function.
- 9. Note differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly.
- 10. Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.
Key Skills Required
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
- Equipment Maintenance
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Telecommunications
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Administrative
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers has an AI exposure score of 16%, indicating a low 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers is projected to decline by 4.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 156,900 workers.
What skills are needed for Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Key skills for Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers include Troubleshooting, Repairing, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers earn?
The median annual wage for Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers is $62,630, 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
The typical entry-level education for Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers is Postsecondary nondegree award. 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers 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
Low 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 Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (16% here).
- Agricultural equipment operators · AI exposure 16%
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters · AI exposure 16%
- Cement masons and concrete finishers · AI exposure 15%
- Construction laborers · AI exposure 15%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-4.2% here).
- Cost estimators · growth -4.2%
- Network and computer systems administrators · growth -4.2%
- Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders · growth -4.3%
- Pipelayers · growth -4.1%
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 10 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers 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).