AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-2021.00
Will AI replace Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers?
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers: AI can already handle 1 of 30 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 30 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete reports related to project status, progress, or other work details, using computer software. | Observed | Standard | |
| Read work orders, blueprints, plans, datasheets or site drawings to determine work to be done. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install all necessary transmission equipment components, including antennas or antenna mounts, surge arrestors, transmission lines, connectors, or tower-mounted amplifiers (TMAs). | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Climb communication towers to install, replace, or repair antennas or auxiliary equipment used to transmit and receive radio waves. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install, connect, or test underground or aboveground grounding systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform maintenance or repair work on existing tower equipment, using hand or power tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install or repair tower lighting components, including strobes, beacons, or lighting controllers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install, adjust, and repair stationary and mobile radio transmitting and receiving equipment and two-way radio communication systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Repair circuits, wiring, and soldering, using soldering irons and hand tools to install parts and adjust connections. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Climb towers to access components, using safety equipment, such as full-body harnesses. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Run appropriate power, ground, or coaxial cables. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Test operation of tower transmission components, using sweep testing tools or software. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Replace existing antennas with new antennas as directed. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Bolt equipment into place, using hand or power tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Locate tower sites where work is to be performed, using mapping software. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Check antenna positioning to ensure specified azimuths or mechanical tilts and adjust as necessary. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Transport equipment to work sites, using utility trucks and equipment trailers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Take site survey photos or photos of work performed, using digital cameras. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Calibrate and align components, using scales, gauges, and other measuring instruments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Examine malfunctioning radio equipment to locate defects such as loose connections, broken wires, or burned-out components, using schematic diagrams and test equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Insert plugs into receptacles and bolt or screw leads to terminals to connect equipment to power sources, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor radio range stations to detect transmission flaws and adjust controls to eliminate flaws. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Mount equipment on transmission towers and in vehicles such as ships or ambulances. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove and replace defective components and parts such as conductors, resistors, semiconductors, and integrated circuits, using soldering irons, wire cutters, and hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Test batteries, using hydrometers and ammeters, and charge batteries as necessary. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Test emergency transmitters to ensure their readiness for immediate use. | Estimated | No tier | |
| 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. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Turn setscrews to adjust receivers for maximum sensitivity and transmitters for maximum output. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lift equipment into position, using cranes and rigging tools or equipment, such as gin poles. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 30 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 29 of 30. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 32% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 36% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 65% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 11,140
- Median annual wage
- $63,520
- Middle half of earners
- $50,580 to $82,370
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +8.6%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers 83% skill overlap, about 6 months to move Exposure21
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers 77% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure20
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure26
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure15
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure18
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers and AI
Will AI replace Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers?
AI already handles 1 of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 20 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +8.6% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers?
20 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 30 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 29 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Complete reports related to project status, progress, or other work details, using computer software. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 32% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 65% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers, and what do they earn?
11,140 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $63,520 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +8.6% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/radio-cellular-and-tower-equipment-installers-and-repairers
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