Telecommunications technicians install, maintain and repair radio, internet and other telecommunications infrastructure, from equipment in buildings to lines and cell towers. Networks increasingly report their own faults and can be tested remotely, but the installs and repairs are physical work.
The short answer: AI is not the reason this job is shrinking. The ILO's 2025 index rates ICT installers and servicers, the closest group, as not exposed, with a score of 0.24. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 3 percent decline for telecommunications technicians from 2025 to 2035, with about 20,300 openings a year, and links the decline to finished build-outs and lower-maintenance fiber. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed telecom technicians are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Information and Communications Technology Installers and Servicers | Not exposed | 0.24 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for telecommunications technicians, not a score for the job title itself. The ILO index measures generative AI, not robots or automated machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Radio, cellular and tower equipment installers and repairers | Grow 1% | In total |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers | Decline 3% | In total |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | Decline 3% | In total |
| Total for telecommunications technicians | Decline 3% | About 20,300 |
The BLS says equipment and line installer jobs will contract as many recent 5G upgrades and government-funded broadband projects are completed, and because newer technology such as fiber optic cable needs less frequent repair. It expects tower and cellular installer jobs to grow with construction of communications structures. Its outlook does not mention AI.
What automation is taking on
- Remote testing and fault detection on networks.
- Routing and scheduling service calls.
- Configuring some equipment remotely.
- Drafting work orders and job notes.
What stays with telecom technicians
- Installs: running cable and fiber and mounting equipment.
- Repairs: finding and fixing faults on site, often at height.
- Safety: working near power lines and in all weather.
- Checking AI help: automated diagnoses and generated notes can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Fiber and remote diagnostics mean fewer routine truck rolls, while tower and cellular work holds up. Fiber splicing and network testing skills stay in demand. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace power line workers?, will AI replace electricians? and will AI replace IT support?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers except line installers at $66,200 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The BLS says the education needed to enter varies; its profile explains the routes in. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace telecom technicians?
AI is not the driver. The BLS projects a 3 percent decline from 2025 to 2035 as 5G and broadband projects finish and fiber needs less repair.
Which telecom jobs are growing?
The BLS projects 1 percent growth for radio, cellular and tower equipment installers and repairers.
How many openings are expected?
About 20,300 a year on average over the decade, according to the BLS.
How exposed are telecom technicians to AI?
The closest ILO group, ICT installers and servicers, is rated not exposed with a score of 0.24.