7246-NOC

Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians

(NOC 72205)
Annual Earnings
$72,203
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
College Diploma or Apprenticeship, 2 or more years
Job Openings
(2023-2033)
750

Career Overview

Telecommunications equipment installation: 

  • Install, test, maintain and repair telephones, telephone switching equipment and telecommunications equipment related to transmission and processing of voice, video signals and other data over a variety of media including fibre optics, microwave, radio and satellite
  • Work for telephone and other telecommunications transmission service companies

Cable television service technicians:

  • Install, maintain and repair cable and satellite television, internet signal and associated equipment in homes and commercial buildings
  • Work for cable and satellite television companies

Duties

Telephone installers and repairers:

  • Install, arrange, remove and maintain telephone equipment, wiring and associated hardware
  • Test installed telephone systems to locate transmission faults
  • Repair or replace defective and damaged telephones, wire and associated equipment

Switch network installers and repairers:

  • Install electromechanical, analog and digital trunking systems, circuits and equipment in telecommunications central offices and switching centres
  • Inspect and test trunking systems, circuits and equipment
  • Analyze test results and adjust, change or repair switching system, network, associated equipment and software

Telecommunications service testers:

  • Operate computerized testing systems to conduct service tests on customer lines and equipment
  • Determine the nature, cause and location of service trouble
  • Initiate the dispatch of appropriate repair personnel
  • Complete test reports and maintain test and service records
  • May assist repair personnel to test lines, circuits and systems, isolate and clear cable faults and verify records

Telecommunications equipment technicians:

  • Install, remove and maintain various telecommunications equipment and related systems such as telex and facsimile machines, teletypewriters, mobile radios, cellular telephones, pagers and other related telecommunications equipment
  • Configure operating systems and install software for access to the internet
  • Inspect and test operation of telecommunications equipment
  • Diagnose and locate equipment faults
  • Adjust, replace or repair telecommunications equipment

Cable television service technicians:

  • Communicate with subscribers and company employees to determine work assignments
  • Connect, disconnect and relocate cable outlets, install splitters, converters, decoders, satellite and pay TV equipment, and install other cable hardware and systems at subscriber's premises
  • Install cable modems and software to enable Internet access at subscriber's premises
  • Inspect, test and repair cable and satellite television signals and associated equipment at subscriber's premises

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$72,203

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$48.08/hr
Median$34.62/hr
Low$20.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2023 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

2,120

% Employed Full Time

70%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place in a normal inside work environment
  • Work can also takes place outdoors so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
  • Working with equipment, machinery or power/hand tools may be a source of injury
  • Exposure to electrical circuitry, high tension wires, transformers or other equipment in the workplace may be a source of electrical shock

Career Pathways

Progression to supervisory positions for cable television service technician is possible with experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Apprentice communication electrician - switching
Cable television service technician
Cablevision servicer
Cellular telephone technician
Direct broadcast satellite (dbs) technician - cable television
Exchange tester - telecommunications
Mobile radio installer - telecommunications
Private branch exchange (pbx) installer - telecommunications
Switch network installer and repairer - telecommunications
Switch network installer and repairwoman - telecommunications
Telecommunications equipment technician
Telephone communication technician
Telephone installer
Telephone line and station installer

Education, Training and Skills

  • Completion of secondary school is required.
  • Telephone and switch network installers and repairers require completion of an apprenticeship program ranging from three to four years
    or
    A combination of over three years work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry related courses.
  • Cable television service technicians require completion of a college program in electronics 
    or
    A combination of college, correspondence or industry courses related to electronics and electrical systems and on-the-job training
    or
    Completion of a four-year cable television technician apprenticeship program
  • Telecommunications equipment technicians usually require completion of a college electrical and electronics program and several months of on-the-job training
    or
    Completion of a three- or four-year apprenticeship training program.
  • Trade certification for communication technicians is available, but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
  • Experience as an installer and repairer (telephone and switch network) is usually required for service testers

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Electrical, Electronic & Communications Engineering
EducationPlannerBC Logo
Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

60%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

58%
Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

57%
Equipment Maintenance

Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

57%
Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

57%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

56%
Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

55%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

55%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

54%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

54%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

2,120
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 105 5.0%
Kootenay 50 2.4%
Mainland/Southwest 1,355 64.1%
North Coast and Nechako 35 1.7%
Northeast 10 0.5%
Thompson-Okanagan 210 9.9%
Vancouver Island/Coast 350 16.5%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)

750
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 20 -0.3%
Kootenay 0 -0.6%
Mainland/Southwest 580 0.7%
North Coast and Nechako 10 2.5%
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan 30 0.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast 100 -0.3%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2023-2033)
Information, Culture And Recreation450
Construction180
Professional, Scientific And Technical Services60
Public Administration20
Health Care And Social Assistance10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources