Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

Overview

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers has a national median salary of $63,520 per year, with +1.2% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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.

Work Values

• Achievement
• Support
• Working Conditions

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• 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.
• Climb towers to access components, using safety equipment, such as full-body harnesses.
• Run appropriate power, ground, or coaxial cables.
• Test operation of tower transmission components, using sweep testing tools or software.
• Install all necessary transmission equipment components, including antennas or antenna mounts, surge arrestors, transmission lines, connectors, or tower-mounted amplifiers (TMAs).

Work Activities

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Getting Information
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
• Processing Information
• Handling and Moving Objects

Detailed Work Activities

• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
• Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for an associate's degree.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers:

Video Resources