Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Occupation · SOC 49-9052.00
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Also called: Combination Technician · Installation and Repair Technician (I and R Technician) · Lineman · Service Technician · Cable Splicer · Cable Technician · Cable Television Technician (Cable TV Tech) · Field Service Technician · Installer · Outside Plant Technician · Aerial Installer · Aerial Lineman
Job family: Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-49-9052-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-3.1% by 2034)
- 8,900 openings/yr
- Moderate AI exposure
- Median pay $70,500/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
24th-percentile task overlap — yet about 8,900 openings a year (-3.1% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
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.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 15th | -1.1 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Low | 6th | 0.0 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate | 57th | 0.2 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.0), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.0). 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.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.5 · 47th percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels. | 0.3% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -3.1% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 8,900 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 99,900 → 96,800 |
“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.
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers sits at the 43rd percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure rose from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
24% mean task exposure (2025)
43rd percentile of 427 placed occupations
+8 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Information and Communications Technology Installers and Servicers · 7422 | 24% | Not exposed |
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 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment. Core · importance 4.4
- Explain cable service to subscribers after installation, and collect any installation fees due. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories. Core · importance 4.3
- Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment. Core · importance 4.2
- Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions. Core · importance 4.2
- Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment. Core · importance 4.2
- Access specific areas to string lines, or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces. Core · importance 4.1
- Place insulation over conductors, or seal splices with moisture-proof covering. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Clean or maintain tools or test equipment. Core · importance 3.9
- String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches, and pull lines to proper tension. Core · importance 3.9
- Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Install equipment such as amplifiers or repeaters to maintain the strength of communications transmissions. Supplemental · importance 3.7
- Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches. Core · importance 3.7
- Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks. Core · importance 3.7
- Pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches. Core · importance 3.5
- Use a variety of construction equipment to complete installations, such as digger derricks, trenchers, or cable plows. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Dig trenches for underground wires or cables. Core · importance 3.3
- Fill and tamp holes, using cement, earth, and tamping devices. Supplemental · importance 3.3
- Dig holes for power poles, using power augers or shovels, set poles in place with cranes, and hoist poles upright, using winches. Supplemental · importance 2.8
- Participate in the construction or removal of telecommunication towers or associated support structures. Supplemental
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, such as digital subscriber line modems.
Work activities
- Travel to work sites to perform installation, repair or maintenance work.
- Inspect telecommunications equipment to identify problems.
- Analyze test or performance data to assess equipment operation.
- Connect electrical components or equipment.
- Measure equipment outputs.
- Test communications equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- Install audio or communications equipment.
- Install insulation in equipment or structures.
- Climb equipment or structures to access work areas.
- Lay cables to connect equipment.
- Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.
- Maintain work equipment or machinery.
- Explain use of products or services.
- Collect payments for goods or services.
- Calculate requirements for equipment installation or repair projects.
- Move large objects using heavy equipment.
- Dig holes or trenches.
- Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
- Compact materials to create level bases.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 3.6 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.4 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.4 | |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.4 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.3 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.3 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.1 | |
| Trunk Strength | 3.1 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.0 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.0 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.0 | |
| Visualization | 3.0 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.0 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.0 | |
| Control Precision | 3.0 | |
| Static Strength | 3.0 | |
| Far Vision | 3.0 |
Essential skills
| Speaking | 3.1 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Coordination | 3.0 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Autodesk AutoCAD | Computer aided design CAD software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Slack | Cloud-based data access and sharing software | Hot technology |
| Cisco IOS | Operating system software | |
| Email software | Electronic mail software | |
| Mapcom systems M4 | Facilities management software | |
| Ping tools | Transaction security and virus protection software | |
| Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software | Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software | |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software | |
| Workforce management system software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software |
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 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — 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.
| High School Diploma | 59.6% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 14.1% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 13.1% | |
| Some College Courses | 12.4% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 0.9% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 6.5 | |
| Conventional | 4.2 | |
| Investigative | 2.5 | |
| Enterprising | 2.0 | |
| Social | 1.6 |
Interest areas
| Mechanics/Electronics | 6.2 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 5.9 | |
| Engineering | 4.2 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 3.6 | |
| Information Technology | 2.3 | |
| Construction/Woodwork | 2.1 | |
| Nature/Outdoors | 1.9 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 2.4 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.1 | |
| Cautiousness | 1.9 | |
| Perseverance | 1.7 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $42,940 |
| 25th percentile | $50,620 |
| Median (50th) | $70,500 |
| 75th percentile | $95,520 |
| 90th percentile | $104,840 |
| People employed | 98,360 |
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.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Information · Sector | 59,290 | $83,370 |
| Construction · Sector | 31,010 | $52,030 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors · National industry | 15,150 | $51,700 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction · National industry | 15,020 | $52,050 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 2,870 | $53,640 |
| Utilities · Sector | 1,350 | $82,420 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 1,230 | $49,390 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 620 | $49,370 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 420 | $60,600 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 280 | $54,010 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 230 | $83,570 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 170 | $59,030 |
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).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction · National industry | 100.55× | 15,020 |
| Information · Sector | 31.96× | 59,290 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors · National industry | 22.15× | 15,150 |
| Construction · Sector | 5.99× | 31,010 |
| Utilities · Sector | 3.65× | 1,350 |
| Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation · National industry | 2.2× | 100 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 0.57× | 420 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.42× | 2,870 |
Related occupations
Part of the Energy & Natural Resources career cluster.
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers · 49-2022.00 Compare →
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers · 49-9051.00 Compare →
- Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers · 49-2021.00 Compare →
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers · 49-2097.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment · 49-2093.00 Compare →
- Electricians · 47-2111.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment · 49-2094.00 Compare →
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers · 49-9097.00 Compare →
- Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers · 49-2098.00 Compare →
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles · 49-2096.00 Compare →
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers · 51-8012.00 Compare →
- Lighting Technicians · 27-4015.00 Compare →
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 Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers Compare →
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Compare →
- Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers Compare →
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment Compare →
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 43rd percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers show 24th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 8,900 annual U.S. openings
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers rank in the 24th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 8,900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.1%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $70,500, across about 98,360 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers show 24th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 8,900 annual U.S. openings • Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers rank in the 24th percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 8,900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-3.1%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $70,500, across about 98,360 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9052-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
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
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- 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.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); 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. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9052-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-9052-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-49-9052-00,
title = {Telecommunications Line 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; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); 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-49-9052-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.