# Telecommunications Engineering Specialists

> Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.

- **SOC code:** 15-1241.01
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-15-1241-01
- **Also known as:** Communications Engineer, Engineer, Infrastructure Engineer, Telecommunications Consultant (Telecom Consultant), Network Engineer, Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD), Telecommunication Design Analyst (Telecom Design Analyst), Telecommunication Design Engineer (Telecom Design Engineer)
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Consult with users, administrators, and engineers to identify business and technical requirements for proposed system modifications or technology purchases.
- Implement system renovation projects in collaboration with technical staff, engineering consultants, installers, and vendors.
- Keep abreast of changes in industry practices and emerging telecommunications technology by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Review and evaluate requests from engineers, managers, and technicians for system modifications.
- Implement controls to provide security for operating systems, software, and data.
- Assess existing facilities' needs for new or modified telecommunications systems.
- Develop, maintain, or implement telecommunications disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
- Communicate with telecommunications vendors to obtain pricing and technical specifications for available hardware, software, or services.
- Manage user access to systems and equipment through account management and password administration.
- Inspect sites to determine physical configuration, such as device locations and conduit pathways.
- Document procedures for hardware and software installation and use.
- Install, or coordinate installation of, new or modified hardware, software, or programming modules of telecommunications systems.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Telecommunications _(knowledge)_
- Computers and Electronics _(knowledge)_
- Engineering and Technology _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Telecommunications _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Visio _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Autodesk Revit _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Autodesk AutoCAD _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Autodesk Revit _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Visio _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Apache Kafka _(hot technology)_
- Linux _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerShell _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Project _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 80th percentile (High) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 77th percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 80th percentile (High) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 11.9% growth (Growing fast); 11.2k annual openings; 179.2k → 200.6k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $130,390; 177,010 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-15-1241-01_