Telephone Installers and Repairers

Nature of the Work
Employment
Job Outlook

(D.O.T. 822.261-022 and .281-018)

• Nature of the Work

  Telephone installers and repairers install, service, and repair telephones and other telecommunications systems on customers' property. When customers move or request new types of service, installers relocate telephones or make changes to existing equipment. In buildings under construction, they install wiring and telephone jacks.
  
  Telephone installers—sometimes called station installers, service technicians, or customer system engineers—assemble equipment and install wiring and switches on the customers' premises. They connect telephones to outside service wires and sometimes climb poles or ladders to make these connections. In apartment and office buildings, they connect wires and cables to terminals and test equipment to make sure it works properly. They also resolve maintenance problems by interpreting diagnostic results and system tests, or through the use of maintenance from another location, sometimes with engineering support. When on-site procedures fail to resolve installation or maintenance problems, they request technical support from their technical services center.
  
  Some experienced installers and repairers have multiple skills; they are considered especially valuable by many small companies. Installers and repairers may handle special cases, such as complaints to public service commissions, illegal or unauthorized use of equipment, and electric or acoustic shocks.

• Employment

  Telephone installers and repairers held about 37,000 jobs in 1996. More than 9 out of 10 worked full time for telecommunications companies.

• Job Outlook

  Employment of telephone installers and repairers is expected to decline sharply through the year 2006. Employment will continue to fall due to technological improvements. For example, prewired buildings that enable customers to buy telephones and plug them into prewired jacks have effectively eliminated the functions of the installer. The modular assembly of telephones, in which components plug in and out, will also reduce the time and skills needed for repair. Also, fewer phones will be worth repairing as unit prices continue to decline. In addition, the use of portable terminals that hook into a central testing system makes repairers more efficient. Increased competition for customers due to consolidations and mergers of cable and telephone companies will further contribute to the decline of telephone installers and repairers.
  
  With employment projected to decline, job openings will result exclusively from the need to replace persons who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. Traditionally, most openings for telephone installers and repairers have been filled by workers in other telephone company jobs. As technology continues to displace installers and repairers, it will remain difficult for telephone workers without additional training to get these jobs, and virtually impossible for "outsiders" without the necessary skills. Some telephone installers and repairers are being retrained and moved into positions such as service or systems technicians.
  
  (See the introductory part of this section for information on working conditions, training requirements, earnings, and sources of additional information.)
  

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