Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Also called: Avionics Repair Technician (Avionics Repair Tech), Broadcasting Equipment Mechanic, Cell 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 Climber, Communications Security Repairer
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.
What Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers do
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.
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers salary
The median annual wage for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers is $63,520 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $44,460 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $103,990. The mean annual wage is $69,870.
The mean hourly wage of $33.00 is 4.6× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $63,520 → in 3 years $69,400 → in 5 years $73,500 → in 10 years $85,100 (10-year range $73,200–$98,800). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.