Career profile · 15-1241
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.
What the work can involve
- Document technical specifications and operating standards for telecommunications equipment.
- Provide user support by diagnosing network and device problems and implementing technical or procedural solutions.
- Implement system renovation projects in collaboration with technical staff, engineering consultants, installers, and vendors.
- Keep abreast of changes in industry practices and emerging telecommunications technology by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Use computer-aided design (CAD) software to prepare or evaluate network diagrams, floor plans, or site configurations for existing facilities, renovations, or new systems.
- Develop, maintain, or implement telecommunications disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Telecommunications
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Design
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Working with Computers
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
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.
- Computer and Information Sciences, General463 institutions →
- Information Technology449 institutions →
- Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst54 institutions →
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications523 institutions →
- Cloud Computing60 institutions →
- Network and System Administration/Administrator239 institutions →
- Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance608 institutions →
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 54.8%08/2026 · sample 31 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a year or more but not every month | 45.2%08/2026 · sample 31 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 77.4%08/2026 · sample 31 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a year or more but not every month | 38.7%08/2026 · sample 31 |
| Spend Time Sitting | More than half the time | 40.0%08/2026 · sample 30 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 40.0%08/2026 · sample 30 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | About half the time | 40.0%08/2026 · sample 30 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 48.4%08/2026 · sample 31 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Once a month or more but not every week | 30.0%08/2026 · sample 30 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 64.5%08/2026 · sample 31 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Access software: 2AB iLock Security Services, Access management software, Avaya Identity Engines
- Administration software: Network management software
- Backup or archival software: NovaStor NovaBACKUP, Zmanda Amanda
- Communications server software: IBM Domino
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Navisworks, Autodesk Revit, NavisWorks Jetstream
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server, SiteMaster SiteSmart, Structured query language SQL
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka, Microsoft PowerShell, Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript
- Electronic mail software: IBM Notes, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook
- Helpdesk or call center software: Call accounting software
- Industrial control software: Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software: Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for telecommunications engineering specialists
This O*NET specialty shares the BLS 15-1241 occupation series. Pay is measured for Computer Network Architects, not separately for this specialty.
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
- Typical education for entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
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 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $130,810 | $62.89 | 4,200 |
| Alaska | $119,720 | $57.56 | 120 |
| Arizona | $130,890 | $62.93 | 3,990 |
| Arkansas | $110,400 | $53.08 | 910 |
| California | $158,870 | $76.38 | 14,870 |
| Colorado | $139,230 | $66.94 | 16,380 |
| Connecticut | $143,890 | $69.18 | 1,570 |
| Delaware | $148,390 | $71.34 | 760 |
| District of Columbia | $137,670 | $66.19 | 1,490 |
| Florida | $132,800 | $63.85 | 9,370 |
| Georgia | $133,890 | $64.37 | 7,690 |
| Hawaii | $108,000 | $51.92 | 320 |
| Idaho | $107,620 | $51.74 | 720 |
| Illinois | $132,790 | $63.84 | 7,810 |
| Indiana | $124,190 | $59.71 | 2,030 |
| Iowa | $103,050 | $49.54 | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $100,610 | $48.37 | 1,770 |
| Kentucky | $103,740 | $49.87 | 1,710 |
| Louisiana | $106,620 | $51.26 | 470 |
| Maine | $108,570 | $52.20 | 570 |
| Maryland | $159,460 | $76.66 | 5,860 |
| Massachusetts | $155,060 | $74.55 | 6,270 |
| Michigan | $112,040 | $53.87 | 3,210 |
| Minnesota | $133,270 | $64.07 | 2,040 |
| Mississippi | $90,990 | $43.75 | Not published |
| Missouri | $103,130 | $49.58 | 3,360 |
| Montana | $104,300 | $50.14 | 250 |
| Nebraska | $116,420 | $55.97 | 1,350 |
| Nevada | $138,060 | $66.38 | 1,010 |
| New Hampshire | $125,420 | $60.30 | 560 |
| New Jersey | $162,350 | $78.05 | 5,660 |
| New Mexico | $109,080 | $52.44 | 420 |
| New York | $140,390 | $67.49 | 9,800 |
| North Carolina | $127,320 | $61.21 | 8,350 |
| North Dakota | $108,990 | $52.40 | 230 |
| Ohio | $131,070 | $63.01 | 5,150 |
| Oklahoma | $109,450 | $52.62 | 1,320 |
| Oregon | $135,660 | $65.22 | 1,540 |
| Pennsylvania | $131,840 | $63.39 | 6,080 |
| Rhode Island | $131,320 | $63.14 | 460 |
| South Carolina | $134,990 | $64.90 | 1,950 |
| South Dakota | $153,390 | $73.75 | 420 |
| Tennessee | $123,860 | $59.55 | 4,330 |
| Texas | $133,310 | $64.09 | 13,650 |
| Utah | $121,000 | $58.17 | 1,330 |
| Vermont | $110,930 | $53.33 | 130 |
| Virginia | $141,340 | $67.95 | 9,380 |
| Washington | $168,070 | $80.81 | 4,730 |
| West Virginia | $122,520 | $58.91 | 360 |
| Wisconsin | $131,720 | $63.33 | 2,170 |
| Wyoming | $100,520 | $48.33 | 50 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 319 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
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
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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: 15-1241.01.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.