Installation & Repair · SOC 49-9052
Telecom line installation is facing automation pressure from remote testing and self-healing networks, but field work still requires humans.
Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
Timeline: Network automation reduces fault-analysis tasks, but the fiber build-out boom keeps field installation demand high through at least 2030; gradual displacement after that.
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$81,390 median pay
$49,300 median pay
$62,630 median pay
$47,350 median pay
$47,940 median pay
AI job-risk card
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers is resilient on AIFear. Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers is 28/100 (Resilient). Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
28 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Line and cable inspection and test data analysis, Signal attenuation calculation and documentation, Remote fault detection via network monitoring systems. Harder to automate: Physical cable installation in poles, trenches, and crawlspaces, Customer-premise equipment setup and testing, Fiber splice work in varied field conditions, Complex troubleshooting for intermittent faults.
Lean into Fiber optic splicing and OTDR testing, 5G and small-cell infrastructure installation, Network troubleshooting and OSP fundamentals, Customer service for residential and business accounts. Consider roles such as Telecom field supervisor or Outside plant (OSP) engineer or Fiber infrastructure project coordinator.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.