Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers Salary: $82,260 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 11,400 radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers nationally earn a mean of $82,260. Projections imply about 10.4% annual growth; CA accounts for about 400 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers: what the data shows
Common questions about radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers?
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-2021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 11,400 workers.
What does a radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $64,190 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $82,260 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,384 |
| 25th percentile | $60,950 |
| Median (50th) | $81,479 |
| 75th percentile | $104,945 |
| 90th percentile | $112,730 |
What education do you need?
For Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Installation, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 10.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 64.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 169.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 11,400.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 11,400 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 9,920 | 17.5% |
| Telecommunications | 6,720 | 11.9% |
| Information | 3,480 | 6.1% |
| Construction | 2,260 | 4.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 1,490 | 2.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | 24,460 | $68,810 |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | 23,880 | $45,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers workforce.
Employment Over Time
11,400 Workforce in 2023
The Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$82,260 Average Wage
In 2023, Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers earned an average of $82,260.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Salary distribution for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Employment Growth Projections
10.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,169 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 64.2%
6,844 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 169.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 10.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -1.8% growth (Current: $91,574)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 400 employees, $75,227 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 160 employees, $64,996 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 80 employees, $70,357 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 80 employees, $89,661 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 40 employees, $80,678 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 40 employees, $91,574 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers in 2023 was 11,400 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Communications.
Common majors for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers workers.
Education level distribution for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Skills
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers need many skills, but most especially Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Installation, Critical Thinking, Speaking.
Required skills for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers include Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Deductive Reasoning, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Daily Activities
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
About
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
The average yearly wage for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers was $82,260 in 2023.
SOC Code
49-2021 - Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers reports an average salary of $82,260.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 11,400 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 10.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.