Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.1), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.2). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.

Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient

The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.

Tasks

All 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• Inspect completed work to ensure all hardware is tight, antennas are level, hangers are properly fastened, proper support is in place, or adequate weather proofing has been installed. Core · importance 4.5
• Climb towers to access components, using safety equipment, such as full-body harnesses. Supplemental · importance 4.5
• Run appropriate power, ground, or coaxial cables. Core · importance 4.3
• Test operation of tower transmission components, using sweep testing tools or software. Core · importance 4.2
• Install all necessary transmission equipment components, including antennas or antenna mounts, surge arrestors, transmission lines, connectors, or tower-mounted amplifiers (TMAs). Core · importance 4.2
• Read work orders, blueprints, plans, datasheets or site drawings to determine work to be done. Core · importance 4.2
• Climb communication towers to install, replace, or repair antennas or auxiliary equipment used to transmit and receive radio waves. Supplemental · importance 4.2
• Replace existing antennas with new antennas as directed. Core · importance 4.1
• Lift equipment into position, using cranes and rigging tools or equipment, such as gin poles. Supplemental · importance 4.1
• Bolt equipment into place, using hand or power tools. Core · importance 4.0
• Install, connect, or test underground or aboveground grounding systems. Core · importance 4.0
• Perform maintenance or repair work on existing tower equipment, using hand or power tools. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Locate tower sites where work is to be performed, using mapping software. Supplemental · importance 4.0
• Complete reports related to project status, progress, or other work details, using computer software. Core · importance 4.0
• Check antenna positioning to ensure specified azimuths or mechanical tilts and adjust as necessary. Core · importance 3.9
• Install or repair tower lighting components, including strobes, beacons, or lighting controllers. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Transport equipment to work sites, using utility trucks and equipment trailers. Core · importance 3.7
• Take site survey photos or photos of work performed, using digital cameras. Core · importance 3.6
• Calibrate and align components, using scales, gauges, and other measuring instruments.
• Examine malfunctioning radio equipment to locate defects such as loose connections, broken wires, or burned-out components, using schematic diagrams and test equipment.
• Insert plugs into receptacles and bolt or screw leads to terminals to connect equipment to power sources, using hand tools.
• Install, adjust, and repair stationary and mobile radio transmitting and receiving equipment and two-way radio communication systems.
• Monitor radio range stations to detect transmission flaws and adjust controls to eliminate flaws.
• Mount equipment on transmission towers and in vehicles such as ships or ambulances.
• Remove and replace defective components and parts such as conductors, resistors, semiconductors, and integrated circuits, using soldering irons, wire cutters, and hand tools.
• Repair circuits, wiring, and soldering, using soldering irons and hand tools to install parts and adjust connections.
• Test batteries, using hydrometers and ammeters, and charge batteries as necessary.
• Test emergency transmitters to ensure their readiness for immediate use.
• Test equipment functions such as signal strength and quality, transmission capacity, interference, and signal delay, using equipment such as oscilloscopes, circuit analyzers, frequency meters, and wattmeters.
• Turn setscrews to adjust receivers for maximum sensitivity and transmitters for maximum output.

Emerging tasks

Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.

• Use drone technology to inspect towers and antennas for damage or maintenance needs.

Work activities

• Bolt objects into place.
• Inspect telecommunications equipment to identify problems.
• Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
• Climb equipment or structures to access work areas.
• Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning.
• Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.
• Repair electrical components.
• Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
• Assemble electrical components, subsystems, or systems.
• Connect electrical components or equipment.
• Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
• Maintain work equipment or machinery.
• Read work orders or descriptions of problems to determine repairs or modifications needed.
• Interpret blueprints, specifications, or diagrams to inform installation, development or operation activities.
• Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
• Lay cables to connect equipment.
• Test communications equipment to ensure proper functioning.
• Document operational activities.
• Gather information about work conditions or locations.
• Record images needed to address work issues.
• Move large objects using heavy equipment.
• Calibrate equipment to specifications.
• Control power supply connections.
• Install audio or communications equipment.
• Position equipment using hand tools, power tools, or heavy equipment.
• Solder parts or connections between parts.
• Repair electrical circuits or wiring.
• Test electrical circuits or components for proper functioning.
• Repair electronic equipment.
• Inspect safety equipment to ensure proper functioning.
• Adjust the tension of nuts or bolts.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Abilities

Transferable skills

Essential skills

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• Telecommunications Specialized Skill
• Microsoft Word Common Skill
• Microsoft PowerPoint Common Skill
• Microsoft Outlook Common Skill
• Microsoft Excel Common Skill
• Installation Specialized Skill
• Information Ordering Specialized Skill
• Equipment Maintenance Specialized Skill
• Deductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Speech Recognition Specialized Skill
• Reading Comprehension Common Skill
• Finger Dexterity Common Skill
• Critical Thinking Common Skill
• Active Listening Common Skill
• English Language Common Skill
• Time Management Common Skill
• Inductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Mathematics Common Skill
• Writing Common Skill
• Visualization Specialized Skill
• Systems Analysis Specialized Skill
• Social Perceptiveness Common Skill
• Microsoft Windows Common Skill
• Microsoft Project Specialized Skill
• Complex Problem Solving Common Skill
• Active Learning Common Skill
• Equipment Selection Specialized Skill
• Instructing Specialized Skill
• Learning Strategies Specialized Skill
• Depth Perception Common Skill
• Physics Specialized Skill
• Negotiation Common Skill
• Geography Specialized Skill
• Backbone.js Specialized Skill
• Psychology Specialized Skill
• Chemistry Specialized Skill
• Biology Specialized Skill
• Foreign Language Common Skill
• Project Management Software Specialized Skill
• Presentation Software Specialized Skill

Tools & technology

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

How to get in

Job zone

Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Typical entry-level education

Associate's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement

Related experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Preparation level

SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Related occupations

Part of the Energy & Natural Resources career cluster.

• Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers · 49-2022.00 Compare →
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Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
• AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
• ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
• IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
• Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
• Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-role-49-2021-00,
  title  = {Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-2021-00}
}