Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
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.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$63,520USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$30.54USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,460 | $21.38 |
| 25th | $50,580 | $24.32 |
| 50th · Median | $63,520 | $30.54 |
| 75th | $82,370 | $39.60 |
| 90th | $103,990 | $49.99 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Avionics Repair Technician (Avionics Repair Tech)Broadcasting Equipment MechanicCell Tower Technician (Cell Tower Tech)Cellular Equipment Installer (Cell Equipment Installer)Cellular Equipment Repairer (Cell Equipment Repairer)Cellular Tower Climber (Cell Tower Climber)Certified Tower ClimberCommunications Security RepairerCommunications Systems TechnicianCommunications TechnicianCommunications Tower ClimberElectronic Equipment Repairer
Expand more title examples (47)
Fiber Optic TechnicianField Radio TechnicianField Service Technician (Field Service Tech)Field Technician (Field Tech)Installation Technician (Installation Tech)InstallerLand Mobile Radio TechnicianMaintenance and Condition Assessment ForemanMicrowave Radio TechnicianMobile Radio TechnicianMobile TechnicianRadio AdjusterRadio Communications Tech (Radio Communications Technician)Radio ElectricianRadio Equipment InstallerRadio Equipment RepairerRadio Frequency Technician (RF Tech)Radio MachinistRadio MaintainerRadio MechanicRadio RepairerRadio RepairmanRadio RiggerRadio Service ProgrammerRadio Technician (Radio Tech)Radio TesterRadio Tower Technician (Radio Tower Tech)RF Test Tech (Radio Frequency Test Technician)Small Cell TechnicianSmart Cellular Technician (Smart Cell Tech)Subscriber TechnicianTelecommunication Tower Technician (Telecommunications Tower Tech)Telecommunications Antenna ForemanTelecommunications Line ForemanTelecommunications Tower Construction ForemanTelecommunications Tower ForemanTower ClimberTower Climber Technician (Tower Climber Tech)Tower Equipment InstallerTower Equipment RepairerTower HandTower Technician (Tower Tech)Two-Way Radio InstallerTwo-Way Radio Technician (Two-Way Radio Tech)Voice and Radio Technician (Voice and Radio Tech)Wireless Cellular Technician (Wireless Cell Tech)Wireless Technician
Typical 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.
- Replace existing antennas with new antennas as directed.
Expand more tasks (24)
- Bolt equipment into place, using hand or power tools.
- Install, connect, or test underground or aboveground grounding systems.
- Complete reports related to project status, progress, or other work details, using computer software.
- Check antenna positioning to ensure specified azimuths or mechanical tilts and adjust as necessary.
- Transport equipment to work sites, using utility trucks and equipment trailers.
- Take site survey photos or photos of work performed, using digital cameras.
- Climb towers to access components, using safety equipment, such as full-body harnesses.
- Climb communication towers to install, replace, or repair antennas or auxiliary equipment used to transmit and receive radio waves.
- Lift equipment into position, using cranes and rigging tools or equipment, such as gin poles.
- Perform maintenance or repair work on existing tower equipment, using hand or power tools.
- Locate tower sites where work is to be performed, using mapping software.
- Install or repair tower lighting components, including strobes, beacons, or lighting controllers.
- Calibrate and align components, using scales, gauges, and other measuring instruments.
- Examine malfunctioning radio equipment to locate defects such as loose connections, broken wires, or burned-out components, using schematic diagrams and test equipment.
- Insert plugs into receptacles and bolt or screw leads to terminals to connect equipment to power sources, using hand tools.
- Install, adjust, and repair stationary and mobile radio transmitting and receiving equipment and two-way radio communication systems.
- Monitor radio range stations to detect transmission flaws and adjust controls to eliminate flaws.
- Mount equipment on transmission towers and in vehicles such as ships or ambulances.
- Remove and replace defective components and parts such as conductors, resistors, semiconductors, and integrated circuits, using soldering irons, wire cutters, and hand tools.
- Repair circuits, wiring, and soldering, using soldering irons and hand tools to install parts and adjust connections.
- Test batteries, using hydrometers and ammeters, and charge batteries as necessary.
- Test emergency transmitters to ensure their readiness for immediate use.
- Test equipment functions such as signal strength and quality, transmission capacity, interference, and signal delay, using equipment such as oscilloscopes, circuit analyzers, frequency meters, and wattmeters.
- Turn setscrews to adjust receivers for maximum sensitivity and transmitters for maximum output.
Skills used in this work
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Expand more skills (29)
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
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