AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-2022.00

Will AI replace Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers?

Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers: AI can already handle 2 of 39 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 39 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints. 88 Observed Efficient 4.4
Review manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications, building permits, and ordinances to determine communication equipment requirements and procedures. 65 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Designate cables available for use. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.9
Provide input into the design and manufacturing of new equipment. 50 Estimated Standard 2.9
Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Repair or replace faulty equipment, such as defective and damaged telephones, wires, switching system components, and associated equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Maintain computer and manual records pertaining to facilities and equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Clean and maintain tools, test equipment, and motor vehicles. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Request support from technical service centers when on-site procedures fail to solve installation or maintenance problems. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Analyze test readings, computer printouts, and trouble reports to determine equipment repair needs and required repair methods. 20 Estimated Standard 3.6
Measure distances from landmarks to identify exact installation sites for equipment. 20 Estimated Standard 3.5
Install updated software and programs that maintain existing software or provide requested features, such as time-correlated call routing. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Install telephone station equipment, such as intercommunication systems, transmitters, receivers, relays, and ringers, and related apparatus, such as coin collectors, telephone booths, and switching-key equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.2
Dig holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.1
Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Test connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Note differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Remove loose wires and other debris after work is completed. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Route and connect cables and lines to switches, switchboard equipment, and distributing frames, using wire-wrap guns or soldering irons to connect wires to terminals. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Communicate with bases, using telephones or two-way radios to receive instructions or technical advice, or to report equipment status. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Remove and remake connections to change circuit layouts, following work orders or diagrams. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Perform database verifications, using computers. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Program computerized switches and switchboards to provide requested features. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Enter codes needed to correct electronic switching system programming. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Examine telephone transmission facilities to determine requirements for new or additional telephone services. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Adjust or modify equipment to enhance equipment performance or to respond to customer requests. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Perform routine maintenance on equipment, including adjusting and lubricating components and painting worn or exposed areas. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Determine viability of sites through observation, and discuss site locations and construction requirements with customers. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Remove and replace plug-in circuit equipment. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Refer to manufacturers' manuals to obtain maintenance instructions pertaining to specific malfunctions. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Address special issues or situations, such as illegal or unauthorized use of equipment, or cases of electrical or acoustic shock. 15 Estimated No tier 2.9
Clean switches and replace contact points, using vacuum hoses, solvents, and hand tools. 12 Estimated No tier 3.0
Diagnose and correct problems from remote locations, using special switchboards to find the sources of problems. 10 Estimated No tier 3.8
Drive crew trucks to and from work areas. 8 Estimated No tier 4.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 39 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 38 of 39. 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

A standard-tier model or lower covers 41% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 44% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 56% 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
140,920
Median annual wage
$63,890
Middle half of earners
$51,830 to $81,690
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-4.2%

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.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers and AI

Will AI replace Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers?

AI already handles 2 of the 39 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 21 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 -4.2% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers?

21 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 39 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 38 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints; Review manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications, building permits, and ordinances to determine communication equipment requirements and procedures. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 41% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 56% 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 Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers, and what do they earn?

140,920 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $63,890 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -4.2% 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: Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers. 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/telecommunications-equipment-installers-and-repairers-except-line-installers

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