Telecommunications Engineering Specialists: Career Overview
Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.
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What Tasks Do Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of telecommunications engineering specialists include:
- Consult with users, administrators, and engineers to identify business and technical requirements for proposed system modifications or technology purchases.
- 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.
- Review and evaluate requests from engineers, managers, and technicians for system modifications.
- Assess existing facilities' needs for new or modified telecommunications systems.
- Develop, maintain, or implement telecommunications disaster recovery plans to ensure business continuity.
- Communicate with telecommunications vendors to obtain pricing and technical specifications for available hardware, software, or services.
- Inspect sites to determine physical configuration, such as device locations and conduit pathways.
What Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Need to Know
Top telecommunications engineering specialists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Communications Analyst
- Communications Engineer
- Communications Network Engineer
- Communications Systems Engineer
- Electrical Design Engineer
- Engineer
- Field Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 229,448 telecommunications engineering specialists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +5.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $117,478 |
| Hourly median | $56.48 |
| 10th percentile | $71,481 |
| 25th percentile | $94,479 |
| 75th percentile | $140,477 |
| 90th percentile | $163,476 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $155,890 |
| South Dakota | $149,300 |
| Virginia | $148,080 |
| New Jersey | $147,650 |
| Maryland | $143,260 |
| District of Columbia | $140,050 |
| California | $138,350 |
| Massachusetts | $136,930 |
| New York | $136,230 |
| Colorado | $134,680 |
| Connecticut | $134,150 |
| New Hampshire | $133,100 |
| Illinois | $132,310 |
| Georgia | $132,300 |
| Nevada | $132,080 |
| Oregon | $130,810 |
| Florida | $130,320 |
| Texas | $129,110 |
| Utah | $128,990 |
| Alabama | $128,210 |
| Delaware | $127,970 |
| Minnesota | $126,680 |
| North Carolina | $126,000 |
| Rhode Island | $125,140 |
| Arizona | $124,700 |
| Ohio | $124,520 |
| Wisconsin | $121,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $120,420 |
| Idaho | $119,110 |
| Michigan | $117,330 |
| Tennessee | $115,930 |
| Hawaii | $114,590 |
| New Mexico | $113,070 |
| South Carolina | $112,850 |
| Alaska | $112,560 |
| Maine | $111,320 |
| Arkansas | $109,900 |
| Nebraska | $109,590 |
| North Dakota | $109,150 |
| Missouri | $108,480 |
| Indiana | $107,770 |
| Iowa | $107,060 |
| Kentucky | $106,990 |
| Oklahoma | $105,180 |
| Louisiana | $103,880 |
| West Virginia | $103,350 |
| Montana | $101,240 |
| Kansas | $100,910 |
| Wyoming | $97,510 |
| Mississippi | $95,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $61,430 |
Where Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Earn the Most
Compensation for telecommunications engineering specialists vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $140,214 | 15.2% | 0.93 |
| Middle Atlantic | $136,979 | 16.1% | 1.15 |
| New England | $133,885 | 5.1% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $131,982 | 9.1% | 3.24 |
| Southeast | $129,428 | 25.2% | 1.23 |
| Southwest | $126,266 | 12.8% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $123,840 | 10.8% | 0.78 |
| Plains States | $113,433 | 5.5% | 0.84 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $174,120 | 2,950 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | NC | $172,280 | 820 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $166,880 | 3,370 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $163,920 | 100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $163,570 | 8,910 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $162,320 | 1,410 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $160,520 | 120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $155,480 | 5,340 |
Industry Breakdown
Most telecommunications engineering specialists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 65,030 | $131,470 |
| Information | 32,580 | $125,140 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 17,530 | $137,770 |
| Finance and Insurance | 17,110 | $136,230 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 10,830 | $127,800 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6,990 | $147,170 |
| Manufacturing | 6,790 | $137,280 |
| Educational Services | 4,950 | $105,810 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Telecommunications Engineering Specialists Use
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Microsoft PowerShell (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft SQL Server (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Teams (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of telecommunications engineering specialists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Typical telecommunications engineering specialists positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Information Security Analysts (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Computer User Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Architects (Primary-Short)
- Database Administrators (Supplemental)
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators (Primary-Short)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future telecommunications engineering specialists commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
7 programs across 4 majors
- Computer Information Systems
- Information Technology
- Computer Systems Networking
- Computer Systems Analysis
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1241.01 (Computer Network Architects).
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