Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers Salary: $64,190 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 11,400 radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers work nationally, and $64,190 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 10.4% annual growth; much hiring sits in telecommunications.
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 percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| 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 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 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers grew from 520 in 2009 to 2,540 in 2025 (388.5%).
Historical employment for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$64,190 Median pay (BLS national)
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers earn $64,190 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 860 employees, $80,100 avg wage
- VA: 760 employees, $66,670 avg wage
- NJ: 710 employees, $81,240 avg wage
- FL: 700 employees, $57,670 avg wage
- TX: 660 employees, $63,410 avg wage
- CO: 480 employees, $58,570 avg wage
- OR: 460 employees, $65,310 avg wage
- NC: 450 employees, $49,460 avg wage
- OH: 410 employees, $71,150 avg wage
- WA: 400 employees, $73,960 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 570 employees, $93,290 avg wage
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: 350 employees, $63,650 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 340 employees, $80,050 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 320 employees, $65,320 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 300 employees, $65,900 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 250 employees, $75,090 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 240 employees, $60,880 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 210 employees, $63,110 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 210 employees, $83,190 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 190 employees, $55,330 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 U.S. workforce for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers is about 11,400 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers earn $64,190 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.