Career profile · SOC ESC-B18A4B48

telecommunications engineering technician

Telecommunications engineering technician deploy, maintain and monitor a telecommunication system that provides interactions between data and voice communications, such as telephone, video conferencing, computer, and voicemail systems. They are also involved in the design, manufacturing, construction, maintenance and repair of telecommunication systems. Telecommunications engineering technicians provide technical assistance in the research and development of telecommunication equipment.

telecommunications engineering technician telecommunications engineering technician deploy, maintain and monitor a telecommunication system that provides interactions between data and voice communications, such as telephone, video conferencing, computer, and voicemail systems. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include microwave principles, organisational policies, electromagnetism, electronics principles, ICT communications protocols.

AI exposure
5.0/10
automation risk

Pay in the UK

UK: median £39,998 a year for Telecoms and related network installers and repairers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)

Middle half of full-time jobs: £34,515 to £46,505 a year

UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5242). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)

Pay in India (occupation group)

Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only telecommunications engineering technician, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.

Urban India
₹31,909 a month
Rural India
₹18,966 a month
All India
₹26,175 a month

Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report

Top skills

microwave principles organisational policies electromagnetism electronics principles ICT communications protocols telecom regulations direct inward dialing quality assurance methodologies ICT system user requirements analog electronics theory

Knowledge you'll build

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Telecommunications
  • Computers and Electronics
  • English Language
  • Mathematics
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Mechanical
  • Engineering and Technology

What you'd actually do

  • Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
  • Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
  • Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
  • Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.
  • Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
  • Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses.

Tools & technology you'd use

Microsoft Excel hot Microsoft Office software hot Autodesk AutoCAD hot Microsoft Outlook hot Microsoft PowerPoint hot Microsoft Word hot Apache Struts Cisco IOS Firewall software Fluke ClearSight Analyzer Fluke Networks Fluke TechEXPERT Fluke Networks TechAdvisor Field Access System

Frequently asked questions

What does telecommunications engineering technician do?

Telecommunications engineering technician deploy, maintain and monitor a telecommunication system that provides interactions between data and voice communications, such as telephone, video conferencing, computer, and voicemail systems. They are also involved in the design, manufacturing, construction, maintenance and repair of telecommunication systems. Telecommunications engineering technicians provide technical assistance in the research and development of telecommunication equipment.

What skills does telecommunications engineering technician need?

The most in-demand skills for this role include microwave principles, organisational policies, electromagnetism, electronics principles, ICT communications protocols, telecom regulations. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.

Will AI replace telecommunications engineering technician?

Our AI-durability model gives telecommunications engineering technician a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.

Take it further