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Yes, telecommunications equipment is a good career path.
The telecommunications industry as a whole is all about telephone, television, internet, and other services people use to communicate. It’s a huge industry and considered essential by most individuals and businesses. Because it’s so vast and highly technical, there’s a lot of equipment involved and getting a job in telecommunications equipment is a great idea.
Working in telecommunications equipment can cover a lot of different professions, from those that are entry-level and require no outside skills to people who are running the company, designing new telecommunications equipment, and changing the way we communicate around the globe.
If you’re interested in exploring the field of telecommunications equipment, the following list of jobs will give you an idea of what professions are out there and might inspire you to find a career path in communication.
Here are 8 great jobs in Telecommunications Equipment:
The 5 Best-Paying Jobs in Telecommunications Equipment
Telecommunications equipment can be very high tech, meaning that a lot of skill, education, and ingenuity are needed to create new products and stay on top of demand. Advanced degrees and creative thinking are necessary, which means those people who fit that category can make a lot of money. There are a few of the highest paying jobs in telecommunications equipment.
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Broadband Engineer
Average Annual Salary: N/A
To be a broadband engineer, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications, engineering, or another related field. You’ll also need several years of experience in the industry to fully understand what’s involved in that particular phase of the operations.
A broadband engineer oversees the installation, maintenance, and repair of the equipment in their network. They’re ultimately the ones responsible for a working system that functions correctly. They may also be tasked with collecting data and verifying it for future updates and changes in the system.
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Average Annual Salary: $128,000
As a telecommunications manager, you’ll be responsible for identifying what your region or department needs in regard to telecommunications equipment and personnel and then creating a plan to execute those needs.
Rather than managing people, although that may be a part of your job, your primary focus will be on the telecommunications system you’re in charge of. You’ll need to be able to see the big picture and have budgeting skills. Most likely, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree and many years of experience.
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Average Annual Salary: $102,000
The field of data sciences is set to explode. The front end of this field, the collection of data, has already seen huge growth. Now, we’re seeing people warehouse data in mass quantities, and the next step is using that data to extrapolate information. This is where the data scientist comes in.
If you love computers and statistics, then this is where you need to focus when you’re in school. Earning a bachelor’s or a master’s in either of these areas will serve you well if you want to be a data scientist in the telecommunications equipment industry. Your future will be very lucrative.
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Average Annual Salary: $86,000
It’s no wonder that the telecommunications engineer is at the top end of the pay spectrum. Their duties are to design all of the communications systems that people and businesses use to stay connected.
This job requires advanced education and a great deal of knowledge when it comes to complex technology and the inner workings of these machines. It takes a lot of skill, but the financial rewards are worth it.
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Antenna Engineer
Average Annual Salary: N/A
If the telecommunications engineer is responsible for designing and developing telecommunications systems, then the antenna engineer must be responsible for making antennas, and that’s exactly true.
Their job often goes beyond the design phase and can include maintenance, repair, and upgrades to antennas. They’ll also be responsible for providing information on the performance of products that use antennae and trying to create better solutions.
10 Entry-Level Jobs in Telecommunications Equipment
If you’re considering diving into the telecommunications equipment field, there’s some good news when it comes to entry-level positions. There are a lot of job openings, and this is a field that will just keep growing. Whether you want to stay in the position you first choose or use it as a springboard into a career, you’ll have plenty of options.
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Average Annual Salary: $29,000
There are a lot of different call center representatives needed in the telecommunications equipment industry. You could be taking orders, dealing with customer questions and complaints, helping people troubleshoot their equipment or working dispatch.
While you will need to know the ins and outs of the industry to work any of these jobs, you won’t need any outside education. Most of the information you’ll need to know, you’ll learn on the job.
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Telecommunications Civil Construction
Average Annual Salary: N/A
In this job, you’ll be installing telecommunications equipment or, more likely; you’ll be preparing an area for the installation specialists to come in later and install the equipment. Your tasks can vary from excavation to platform construction, concrete installation, and directional boring.
If you have some construction experience, that can help you get the job. But most of these jobs will train you while you’re working.
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Average Annual Salary: $37,000
This job doesn’t need much explanation as it’s something most people are familiar with. Whether you’ve had a satellite dish installer climbing around on your roof or you know someone who has, it’s a very common job.
The good news is that you won’t need any special education or skills to have this job. You obviously don’t want to have a fear of heights, and you might need a driver’s license to get around, but other than that, you’ll be trained on the job.
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Average Annual Salary: $38,000
Much like a satellite dish installer, the cable installer comes to a home or business to ensure that they’re wired for cable television and often the internet, too. These two services are supplied together by many cable companies.
While streaming services are becoming more popular and people are “cutting the cord” and dropping their cable, this is still a thriving job, and you’ll learn the skills you need from your employer.
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Telecommunications Service Technicians
Average Annual Salary: N/A
This isn’t a job you’ll be sent out to do alone on your first day; it takes a lot of skill and understanding. But the good news is you can get those skills while on the job. Most likely, you’ll be hired in a junior or apprentice position until you learn the ins and outs of all of the equipment involved.
This is a job that not only gets you in the door without additional experience or skill, but it can lead to promotions and job growth as you learn the ropes. It could also pair with some evening classes or online schooling if you’d like to pursue a technical degree in electrical, mechanics, or engineering.
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Office Support/Administrative Assistant
Average Annual Salary: $36,000
Like all big businesses, the telecommunications industry has an administrative staff. In the equipment side of this industry, the administrative or office staff might be responsible for scheduling maintenance, ordering parts, tracking appointments, and invoicing customers.
This job is best for someone who is super organized and can handle many tasks at once. Often, no additional school or training outside of a high school diploma or GED is necessary. However, it is useful for people in this position to have some training in commonly used computer programs like Excel and Word.
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Sales
Average Annual Salary: N/A
If you’re great at selling, then telecommunication equipment sales might be right for you. There are a lot of different ways to make sales in this industry. You could sell to end-user customers, like people who are getting cable, satellite, internet, or even telephone sales. Some end-user customers also include businesses that are buying the same products but on a larger scale.
But it doesn’t end there because within this industry is equipment that needs to move from manufacturers out to the public; in-between, there are a lot of middlemen. You might be selling to the middlemen or be one of them selling to another middleman. You might even work for a company that sells the raw materials to manufacturers. This field is bursting with opportunity.
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Manufacturing
Average Annual Salary: N/A
This is another really broad-based career path, but all of that equipment needs to be made, and manufacturing is a huge part of this industry. Manufacturing has many different levels of positions within it. As an entry-level worker, there’s a good chance you’ll be working on a line on a factory floor.
You’re a key player in this industry; without you, the equipment necessary for all aspects of this job wouldn’t exist. Learning your role in the manufacturing process is all that’s necessary to get the job.
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Utility Systems Technician
Average Annual Salary: N/A
This is an entry-level position and one you’ll often do while working solo, but you will report to a supervisor. The good news is that you can work your way into that supervisory role as you learn more about the business.
As a utility systems tech, you’ll be inspecting data management systems and infrastructure facilities and collecting data. You will have a lot to learn on the job, and you’ll be the one people call during an emergency, but this job doesn’t require additional education beyond a high school diploma.
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Average Annual Salary: $50,000
This job doesn’t require education beyond high school, but you’ll have to pass some background and drug screening. You’ll also need to be in great physical shape and not afraid of heights.
Working on towers can be scary work, and it can require great strength and a level head. If you fit the bill, this can be an excellent career choice that keeps you active and on the go while having the potential to earn a good salary.
Why Choose a Career in Telecommunications Equipment
The best reason to choose a job in telecommunications equipment is probably job security. This is a field that’s only going to grow in popularity, which means you won’t have to worry about there not being enough jobs in your field.
Working in an exploding industry also brings a lot of other benefits that will make it clear why you should pursue a career in telecommunications.
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Job security. This point can’t be stressed enough, especially in a world where jobs aren’t guaranteed, and many people are hunting for new work. Being in an industry that won’t be phased out is a big plus.
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Opportunity for advancement. If you want to ride up the corporate ladder, there are ample opportunities. If you get in at the ground level in telecommunications equipment, you can learn the ropes and work your way up to management. If you’re willing to put in some extra time studying and earning a degree, you can go even further in this field.
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Cutting-edge technology. This field is where most technology is happening. It’s where fast changes come about, and you’ll get to be one of the first to know what’s happening and to learn how to do it.
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Move into another area. Within this industry, there are so many different things that you can do, and your experiences will only make you better qualified. If you start in manufacturing, you might want to move to sales, or maybe you want to move into the installation – there are lateral moves throughout that keep things interesting.
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Pay advances. Another great thing about an industry like telecommunications is that it’s so in demand. The more people demand tech from your industry, the more they’ll pay which eventually means you can be making a decent income.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Telecommunications Equipment
This industry has a lot of entry-level positions that only require a high school diploma or a GED. In fact, that might not even be necessary. But there are also positions that require a master’s, and a doctorate may be in order for some. So how do you get started?
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High school or GED. The first step is getting your high school degree or a GED. This is a base requirement for many entry-level jobs. After that, you can work in the industry and work your way up, or you can see where you might need some additional training.
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On-the-job training. A huge part of what you do in this field, no matter what your job or education, is going to be based on the training you get specific to your position. This simply can’t be learned outside of the job, so you’ll be hired and trained along the way.
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Associates or tech certifications. You might find that an associate’s degree or a technical certification will help you get ahead in this industry, especially in electronics. So much of this field relies on electronics that it is a great benefit to learn what you can about it and be able to prove that you have the knowledge your employer needs.
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Associates or tech certifications. You might find that an associate’s degree or a technical certification will help you get ahead in this industry, especially in electronics. So much of this field relies on electronics that it is a great benefit to learn what you can about it and be able to prove that you have the knowledge your employer needs.
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Masters or doctorate degrees. These degrees lead to some of the highest-paying jobs in telecommunications. Many people who have this level of education are working as engineers and technology architects, creating the next generation of telecommunications.
Is Telecommunications Equipment a Good Career Path?
Yes, the field of telecommunications equipment is a great career path. There is a lot of job security, and when you get to stay with a job for a long time, you have the opportunity to advance your career and earn a bigger paycheck. Those are some great reasons to dive into any career.
This field is on the cutting edge of technology. In fact, it literally defines how communication technology will proceed and shape the future. Being in this field means you have a deeper understanding of what the future will look like, and you’re more comfortable in it.
One of the biggest reasons that people like being in the telecommunications industry is that it’s fairly easy to enter, no matter what your education level is. From there, you get to write your own ticket and determine what career trajectory you’re on. No matter what you pick, there could be a big paycheck at the end of your journey.
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Author
Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.
