JobAfterNext

Telecommunications Engineering Specialists

Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services. Supervise installation, service, and maintenance.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Telecommunications Engineering Specialists separately. These are the figures for Computer Network Architects (15-1241), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$134,050
Employment, U.S.179,740
Median hourly wage$64.45
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$79,900$104,620$134,050$168,200$202,680
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama4,200$130,8101.72
Alaska120$119,7200.32
Arizona3,990$130,8901.07
Arkansas910$110,4000.60
California14,870$158,8700.71
Colorado16,380$139,2304.93
Connecticut1,570$143,8900.80
Delaware760$148,3901.36
District of Columbia1,490$137,6701.84
Florida9,370$132,8000.82
Georgia7,690$133,8901.36
Hawaii320$108,0000.44
Idaho720$107,6200.72
Illinois7,810$132,7901.11
Indiana2,030$124,1900.55
Iowa1,170$103,0500.65
Kansas1,770$100,6101.06
Kentucky1,710$103,7400.74
Louisiana470$106,6200.21
Maine570$108,5700.77
Maryland5,860$159,4601.83
Massachusetts6,270$155,0601.49
Michigan3,210$112,0400.63
Minnesota2,040$133,2700.60
Mississippi$90,990
Missouri3,360$103,1300.99
Montana250$104,3000.42
Nebraska1,350$116,4201.14
Nevada1,010$138,0600.56
New Hampshire560$125,4200.71
New Jersey5,660$162,3501.14
New Mexico420$109,0800.42
New York9,800$140,3900.88
North Carolina8,350$127,3201.46
North Dakota230$108,9900.46
Ohio5,150$131,0700.80
Oklahoma1,320$109,4500.67
Oregon1,540$135,6600.68
Pennsylvania6,080$131,8400.87
Rhode Island460$131,3200.80
South Carolina1,950$134,9900.73
South Dakota420$153,3900.80
Tennessee4,330$123,8601.14
Texas13,650$133,3100.84
Utah1,330$121,0000.66
Vermont130$110,9300.37
Virginia9,380$141,3401.97
Washington4,730$168,0701.15
West Virginia360$122,5200.44
Wisconsin2,170$131,7200.64
Wyoming50$100,5200.16

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists40.959
2Computer Network Architects40.956
3Broadcast Technicians30.946
4Electrical Engineers40.943
5Computer Network Support Specialists40.941
6Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.940
7Computer User Support Specialists30.939
8Computer Systems Engineers/Architects30.934
9Information Security Analysts40.934
10Computer Hardware Engineers40.934

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Telecommunications Engineering Specialists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Industrial Engineering Technologists and TechniciansScience2.130.930

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Telecommunications Engineering Specialists, excluding software Telecommunications Engineering Specialists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
National Instruments LabVIEW14 of 2010.4x
C13 of 208.7x
C++15 of 206.3x
The MathWorks MATLAB15 of 206.2x
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks12 of 209.5x
Microsoft Visual Basic14 of 206.7x
Verilog9 of 2017.3x
Dassault Systemes CATIA11 of 208.5x
Bentley MicroStation10 of 209.6x
Cisco IOS7 of 2020.2x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.88 4.00
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.88 3.88
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.62 3.88
WritingEssential skill 3.38 3.75
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.38 3.62
Active LearningEssential skill 3.25 3.88
SpeakingEssential skill 3.25 3.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.25 3.62
MonitoringEssential skill 3.25 3.50
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.25
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.12 3.50
InstructingTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.00 2.88
MathematicsEssential skill 2.88 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.75 3.00
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.62 3.00
InstallationTransferable skill 2.62 2.88
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.62 2.62
RepairingTransferable skill 2.62 2.62
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.62 2.50
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 2.62 2.50
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.50 2.75
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.50 2.75
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 2.50 2.62
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.38 2.38
ProgrammingTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
ScienceEssential skill 1.62 1.12
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Telecommunications 4.87 6.06
Computers and Electronics 4.63 5.73
Engineering and Technology 4.48 5.74
English Language 4.03 4.48
Design 4.00 5.13
Customer and Personal Service 3.74 5.03
Public Safety and Security 3.65 4.19
Mathematics 3.52 4.68
Building and Construction 3.40 4.42
Administration and Management 3.37 4.23
Mechanical 3.13 4.00
Administrative 3.06 3.97
Communications and Media 3.06 3.35
Physics 2.84 3.52
Education and Training 2.77 3.84
Law and Government 2.61 2.87
Geography 2.52 2.97
Personnel and Human Resources 2.48 2.71
Production and Processing 2.48 2.61
Economics and Accounting 2.42 2.45
Sales and Marketing 2.29 2.68
Transportation 1.97 1.80
Chemistry 1.77 1.71
Psychology 1.77 1.58
Foreign Language 1.55 1.23
Therapy and Counseling 1.42not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.35not rated
Biology 1.29not rated
History and Archeology 1.29not rated
Sociology and Anthropology 1.29not rated
Fine Arts 1.26not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.16not rated
Food Production 1.13not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Expression 4.00 4.00
Oral Comprehension 3.88 4.25
Near Vision 3.88 3.88
Deductive Reasoning 3.75 4.00
Written Comprehension 3.75 4.00
Problem Sensitivity 3.75 3.75
Written Expression 3.62 4.00
Information Ordering 3.62 3.88
Inductive Reasoning 3.50 3.62
Speech Clarity 3.12 3.50
Speech Recognition 3.12 3.25
Category Flexibility 3.00 3.12
Fluency of Ideas 3.00 3.12
Originality 3.00 3.12
Number Facility 3.00 3.00
Perceptual Speed 3.00 3.00
Selective Attention 3.00 3.00
Flexibility of Closure 2.88 3.00
Mathematical Reasoning 2.88 3.00
Visualization 2.88 3.00
Far Vision 2.88 2.88
Finger Dexterity 2.75 2.88
Visual Color Discrimination 2.75 2.88
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.62 2.62
Time Sharing 2.62 2.62
Manual Dexterity 2.50 2.38
Hearing Sensitivity 2.38 2.38
Auditory Attention 2.38 2.00
Trunk Strength 2.38 1.88
Speed of Closure 2.25 2.38
Memorization 2.12 2.25
Control Precision 2.00 1.88
Extent Flexibility 1.88 1.88
Spatial Orientation 1.88 1.25
Multilimb Coordination 1.75 1.25
Stamina 1.75 1.25
Depth Perception 1.62 1.00
Sound Localization 1.62 0.88
Glare Sensitivity 1.50 0.88
Static Strength 1.50 0.88
Gross Body Coordination 1.50 0.75
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.50 0.75
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.50 0.62
Dynamic Strength 1.50 0.50
Peripheral Vision 1.38 0.50
Night Vision 1.25not rated
Rate Control 1.25not rated
Reaction Time 1.25not rated
Response Orientation 1.25not rated
Explosive Strength 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 53
  • Cisco Systems Cisco Traffic Analyzer
  • IBM Domino
  • IBM Lotus 1-2-3
  • IBM Notes
  • IBM Rational Requirements Composer
  • KornShell
  • McAfee
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript
  • Nagios
  • Network management software
  • NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software
  • NovaStor NovaBACKUP
  • Project scheduling software
  • Requirements analysis software
  • SiteMaster SiteSmart
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Virtual private networking VPN software
  • Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
  • Web browser software
  • Web design software
  • Wireshark
  • Zmanda Amanda

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Telecommunications Engineering Specialists separately. These are the figures for Computer Network Architects (15-1241), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Boulder, CO2,0009.00$156,360
Colorado Springs, CO2,4606.73$130,980
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO10,2605.51$139,230
Huntsville, AL1,6605.40$132,410
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV9,3702.58$159,820
Raleigh-Cary, NC2,1902.55$120,640
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC9702.43$144,990
Bloomington, IL2402.32$161,780
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL6402.27$110,590
Greeley, CO3102.23$125,560

More metros, other thresholds