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Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-2021

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$63,520
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
1,600
Proj. Annual Openings
11,140
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-4.2%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 49-2021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
66/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$63,520
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
1,600
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +8.6%.
Observed/proxy demand
0
FY2025 certified LCAs; 1,905 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

RepairingInstallationEquipment MaintenanceReading ComprehensionActive Listening

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

19.7%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI10.7%
AI ability · AIOE48.5%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne93%

Top Skills

1.Repairing
2.Installation
3.Equipment Maintenance
4.Reading Comprehension
5.Active Listening

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

1
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
0
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$0
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#735 of 776
Rank by Total Volume

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

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.

Common titles: Communications Systems Technician, Field Service Technician (Field Service Tech), Field Technician (Field Tech), Installation Technician (Installation Tech), Radio Frequency Technician (RF Tech), Radio Repairman

Representative 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.
  • 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).
  • Read work orders, blueprints, plans, datasheets or site drawings to determine work to be done.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Climb equipment or structures to access work areas.
  • Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning.
  • Lay cables to connect equipment.
  • Test communications equipment to ensure proper functioning.
  • Install electrical components, equipment, or systems.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft PowerPoint · hotAERONET calculatorCaliper MaptitudeComputerized maintenance management system CMMSMaintenance documentation softwareSweep analysis softwareZoho WebNMS Cell Tower Manager

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 49-2021: 2019 — employment: 14,370, median wage: $55,380; 2020 — employment: 13,210, median wage: $57,720; 2021 — employment: 13,700, median wage: $60,360; 2022 — employment: 13,020, median wage: $59,720; 2023 — employment: 11,810, median wage: $61,310; 2025 — employment: 11,140, median wage: $63,520.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.6%
OutlookAverage24% Bright
Median Salary$63,520N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A