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Career profile · 43-2099

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other

All communications equipment operators not listed separately.

What the work can involve

Use the full O*NET occupation profile to investigate tasks and work activities for this role.

Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.

Training subjects to investigate

The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.

Pay & employment outlook

Salary estimates for communications equipment operators, all other

National median annual wage$54,680May 2025 · existing wage and salary workers
National median hourly wage$26.29May 2025 · where BLS publishes hourly pay
Middle 50% of annual wages$46,460–$78,47025th–75th percentile · not an entry-level pay range
Estimated employment1,200May 2025 · excludes self-employed workers

The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.

National outlook: 2025–2035

Projected employment change+1%1,200 to 1,300 jobs
Projected openings per year100Annual average · growth plus replacement needs
Typical education for entry
High school diploma or equivalent
Related work experience
None
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.

Compare wages across 9 state/DC estimates
May 2025 cross-industry wage estimates for Communications Equipment Operators, All Other
StateAnnual medianHourly medianEmployment
California$79,450$38.20450
Louisiana$48,560$23.3440
Massachusetts$54,500$26.2040
Michigan$51,920$24.9640
Minnesota$54,500$26.20Not published
Missouri$87,030$41.8450
North Carolina$46,430$22.3230
Ohio$47,360$22.7760
Texas$58,410$28.08110

Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages

Search the 3 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.

Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.

Compare the route and prepare for work

Questions to test the fit

  1. What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
  2. Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
  3. What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
  4. Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
  5. How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
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Related occupations to compare

Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.

Sources and attribution

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 43-2099.00.

Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.