Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

Median salary

$63,520

Average salary

$69,870

Employment

11,140

Projected growth

8.6% growth

Annual openings

1,200

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers Do

Repair, install, or maintain mobile or stationary radio transmitting, broadcasting, and receiving equipment, and two-way radio communications systems used in cellular telecommunications, mobile broadband, ship-to-shore, aircraft-to-ground communications, and radio equipment in service and emergency vehicles. May test and analyze network coverage.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 1.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.1/5
Telecommunicationsimportance 3.9/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.9/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.4/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.3/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.2/5
English Languageimportance 3.2/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.3/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
Telephone Conversations4.2/5
E-Mail4.2/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics93% skill match
Pipelayers93% skill match
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers93% skill match
Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers92% skill match
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers92% skill match
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers91% skill match
Signal and Track Switch Repairers90% skill match
Millwrights90% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Repairingimportance 3.5/5
Installationimportance 3.4/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.4/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

AERONET calculator
Backbone.js
Caliper Maptitude
Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
Location mapping software
Maintenance documentation software
Sweep analysis software
Zoho WebNMS Cell Tower Manager

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Integrity
Adaptability
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeMedium
SocialLow
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).