All careersSkilled trades

Telecom Equipment Installer

$62,630
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Set up, test, and repair phone, internet, and network equipment for homes and businesses.

Where you work

Homes, businesses, and central offices

The hours

Full-time, some on-call

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$62,630
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~13,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
-4%
Declining
Working in the U.S.
156,900
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Certificate program

Training path: Certificate plus on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

WiringTroubleshootingTesting toolsCustomer service

The honest take

Wires and fixes the networks we all lean on — softening as gear gets simpler, but solid pay for the trained.

Standard Occupational Classification 49-2022. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.