Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 49-9052.00
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.24
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 19 hidden tasks20 rated tasks · 1 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (5.0%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.49-9052.00 | 0.0027100.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels.O*NET Task ID 11859 | 1.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (20)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions. | Core |
| Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment. | Core |
| Access specific areas to string lines, or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces. | Core |
| Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches. | Core |
| Clean or maintain tools or test equipment. | Core |
| Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks. | Core |
| Pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches. | Core |
| Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, such as digital subscriber line modems. | Core |
| Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories. | Supplemental |
| Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment. | Supplemental |
| Place insulation over conductors, or seal splices with moisture-proof covering. | Supplemental |
| String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches, and pull lines to proper tension. | Supplemental |
| Install equipment such as amplifiers or repeaters to maintain the strength of communications transmissions. | Supplemental |
| Explain cable service to subscribers after installation, and collect any installation fees due. | Supplemental |
| Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels. | Supplemental |
| Use a variety of construction equipment to complete installations, such as digger derricks, trenchers, or cable plows. | Supplemental |
| Dig trenches for underground wires or cables. | Supplemental |
| Dig holes for power poles, using power augers or shovels, set poles in place with cranes, and hoist poles upright, using winches. | Supplemental |
| Fill and tamp holes, using cement, earth, and tamping devices. | Supplemental |
| Participate in the construction or removal of telecommunication towers or associated support structures. | Supplemental |
0.70/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories. | E0 none |
| Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment. | E0 none |
| Access specific areas to string lines, or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches, and pull lines to proper tension. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches. | E0 none |
| Clean or maintain tools or test equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Dig trenches for underground wires or cables. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Place insulation over conductors, or seal splices with moisture-proof covering. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install equipment such as amplifiers or repeaters to maintain the strength of communications transmissions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Use a variety of construction equipment to complete installations, such as digger derricks, trenchers, or cable plows. | E0 none |
| Dig holes for power poles, using power augers or shovels, set poles in place with cranes, and hoist poles upright, using winches. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Fill and tamp holes, using cement, earth, and tamping devices. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 103K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 100K
- Change (2025–35)
- -3.4%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $74,330
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77231 | 통신 케이블 설치 및 수리원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 77232 | 방송 케이블 설치 및 수리원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 77233 | 인터넷 케이블 설치 및 수리원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 7422Information and Communications Technology Installers and Servicers
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- communication infrastructure maintainerESCO 7422.1Same scope
Communication infrastructure maintainers install, repair, run and maintain infrastructure for communication systems.
- telecommunications equipment maintainerESCO 7422.6Overlapping, not the same
Telecommunications equipment maintainers repair, install or maintain mobile or stationary radio transmitting, broadcasting, and receiving equipment, and two-way radio communications systems (cellular telecommunications, mobile broadband, ship-to-shore, aircraft-to-ground communications, radio equipment in service and emergency vehicles). They also focus on communication towers, antennas, amplifiers and connectors. They may test and analyse network coverage.
- telecommunications technicianESCO 7422.7Overlapping, not the same
Telecommunications technicians install, test, maintain and troubleshoot telecommunications systems. They repair or replace defective devices and equipment and maintain a safe working environment and a complete inventory of supplies. They also provide user or customer assistance.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| I1311 | Technicien / Technicienne installation réseaux câblés fibre optique | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| I1315 | Monteur raccordeur / Monteuse raccordeuse fibre optique | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| I1317 | Technicien / Technicienne de maintenance fibre optique | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| F1623 | Monteur / Monteuse installation réseaux mobiles | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 7533 | Instaladores y reparadores en tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 26312 | Berufe in der Informations- und Telekommunikationstechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 26262 | Berufe in der Leitungsinstallation und -wartung - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 673 | 通信線架線・敷設従事者 | Same scopeprovisional |
| 674 | 電気通信設備工事従事者 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources