Match meter readings to schematics
Hold your test meter's readings up against the wiring schematic to find exactly where the fault sits.
Career profile
Telecommunications Equipment Technician
Telecommunications technicians set up and repair the equipment behind television, phone, and internet service.
A dropped link is where the job begins. From there, you trace backward until you find the piece of equipment at fault.
A day in the life
Cable new equipment into switches
Connect cables to the switches for new equipment as your work order lists, and check each hookup.
Swap the part, then test
Pull the faulty part, fit a working one, and run tests before you call the repair finished.
Walk the customer through it
Teach the customer how to run the equipment, and note what you fixed for whoever services it later.
Quick facts
Technical certificate is typical
United States · 2025
$63,890 a year
United States · May 2025
3.3% projected decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Technical certificate is typicalA postsecondary certificate plus on-the-job training is typical; some employers hire directly from high school.
Pay
$63,890 a yearNational median, equivalent to $30.72 an hour, in May 2025.
Outlook
3.3% projected declineAbout 11,300 openings a year are projected nationally for 2025–35 despite shrinking employment.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy narrowing down a problem by testing possible causes.
- You can explain a technical fix patiently.
Things to weigh
- Some field-service schedules include evenings and weekends.
- Ladders, heavy equipment, and cramped spaces can mean physical strain and fall risks.
Where AI may help
At central offices, automatic monitoring flags faults, and technicians can correct some problems remotely.
What people still lead
You still connect equipment, replace parts, and verify repairs.
What we can’t predict yet
How much troubleshooting moves off-site will depend on which faults can be resolved remotely.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $63,890 a year, or $30.72 an hour. It is not a starting-pay promise.
The pay spread
In May 2025, the lowest-paid 10% earned $44,240 or less annually; the highest-paid 10% earned $96,730 or more. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and expert salaries.
Employer type matters
In May 2023, average annual pay was $67,100 in telecommunications and $56,730 at building equipment contractors. These historical industry averages show workplace differences; they are not current offers or medians.
Getting started
Start in a paid trainee role
Paid
- What the route involves
- At Spectrum, combine classroom lessons with field training and mentor ridealongs.
- What it can lead to
- Build the skills to handle customer installation and repair calls.
- What to check
- Entry requirements include a high school diploma or equivalent experience, computer and hand-tool skills, and a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
Study electronics or networking
- What the route involves
- Earn a certificate or associate degree covering circuits and data communications.
- What it can lead to
- Meet the technical-education preference of some employers; workplace training still follows hiring.
You can enter through employer training or prepare first at a technical school.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Practice safe tool use and installations alongside experienced technicians.
Solve harder faults
Use test readings to choose repairs; bring in technical support when a fault persists.
Move up a technician level
At Spectrum, coursework and field experience support progression through technician levels. Leadership roles are another possible step.
Where you can work
Customers' homes and businesses
Travel between service calls, carry tools inside and outdoors, and explain the finished installation directly to customers.
- Field work
- Travel
- Indoors
- Outdoors
Central offices
Work with switches and fiber equipment serving many connections. Equipment alerts guide repairs, including some handled remotely.
- Indoors
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Sketch the visible connections between a home modem, router, and computer. Label each cable's endpoints, then explain what you would check if the computer lost service. Notice whether tracing the connection interests you.
Stay safe: Observe only: do not unplug shared equipment, open cases, or handle exposed fiber.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: 49-2022.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages: 49-2022. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Telecommunications Technicians. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Spectrum. Field Technician — Blue Ash, Ohio. Accessed 2026-10-03.