Central office technicians: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Central office technicians set up and maintain switches, routers, fiber-optic cables, and other equipment at switching hubs, called central offices. These hubs send, process, and amplify data from thousands of telephone, Internet, and cable connections. Telecom technicians receive alerts about equipment malfunctions from automonitoring switches and are able to correct the problems remotely.
- Education Required
- Telecom technicians typically need postsecondary education in electronics, telecommunications, or computer networking. Generally, postsecondary programs include classes such as data transmission systems, data communication, AC/DC electrical circuits, and computer programming.
- Training Required
- Once hired, telecom technicians receive on-the-job training, typically lasting a few weeks to a few months. Training involves a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on work with an experienced technician. In these settings, workers learn the equipments internal parts and the tools needed for repair. Technicians who have completed postsecondary education often require less on-the-job instruction than those who have not.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -8% (Decline)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Median pay: How much do Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers make?
- $53,640 Annual Salary
- $25.79 per hour
Careers for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers
- Broadband technicians
- Cable technicians
- Cellular technicians
- Central office installers
- Communications equipment installers
- Fiber optic central office installers
- Field service technicians
- Headend technicians
- Home installers and repairers
- PBX installers and repairers
- Private branch exchange (PBX) installers and repairers
- Switchboard wirers
- Telecom installers
- Telecommunications service technicians
- Telecommunications switch technicians
- Telephone installers and repairers
- VOIP engineers