10 Best Paying Jobs in Telecommunications Equipment (Up to $173,000 Average Annual Salary)

Are you considering a high-paying job in the telecommunications equipment industry? If you are, you’ve come to the right place!

As one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, the telecommunications equipment industry offers great high-paying opportunities for you to consider. According to Market Research Future Reports the telecom equipment market ($916,54 billion) is expected to register a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.1% in the next decade. Innovative technologies are in high demand and companies in this industry are looking for more employees than ever before. Seize the moment and pursue a career path in the telecommunication sector.

Information is everything, and transmitting information, and managing and protecting data is a lucrative business. If you’re good at solving communication-related issues, if you possess problem-solving skills and creativity, and if you’re a critical thinker, then a job in telecommunications equipment is the perfect choice for you. We’ve done a broad research to create a list of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment. Read it carefully to find the job suitable for your talents and your salary expectations. But before checking the list, a quick reminder on what is telecommunication equipment.

What is Telecommunication Equipment?

Telecommunication equipment stands for hardware mainly used for telecommunications like telecom towers, transmission lines, switches, multiplexers, fiber-optic cables, routers, and base transceiver stations. It incorporates various methods of communication technology, such as computers, radio, video, cable, satellite, telephones, and the internet.

Since the early 1990s, it’s been hard to see the difference between telecommunications equipment and information technology equipment. The internet growth has increased the importance of telecommunications infrastructure used for data transfer.

Telecommunications equipment operates on software and professionals who know the software and hardware components of the technology. Be one of those telecom experts and apply for one of the best paying jobs on our list!

10 Best Paying Jobs in Telecommunications Equipment

There’s a wide selection of high-paying jobs in the telecommunications equipment industry. If you think you can design, develop, install, and use telecommunications technology to send messages, choose one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment:

Telecommunication manager- $173,000 average annual salary

Antenna engineer- $135,800 average annual salary

VoIP engineer- $105,000 average annual salary

IC design engineer- $101,037average annual salary

Data scientist- $97,609 average annual salary

Wireless communication engineer- $92,119 average annual salary

Broadband engineer- $87,053 average annual salary

Telecommunications specialist- $81,402 average annual salary

Telecommunications engineer- $80,606 average annual salary

Fiber design engineer- $80,262 average annual salary

Review the salaries, and learn more about the job of your interest. See what it takes to get one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment in the US, and start applying!

1. Telecommunication Manager

According to the salary survey on Salaryexplorer, the average annual salary (including transport, housing, and other benefits) of a telecommunications manager in the US is $173,000, while the salary range is between $73,800 and $255,000.

If you see yourself in the position of a telecommunications manager be prepared for the following responsibilities:

Install, maintain and fix telecommunications lines and equipment
Consult firms that offer services to different companies
Monitor the functioning of telecommunications equipment and software
Use troubleshooting skills to find a solution on time
Be in charge of telecommunications employee
Delegate assignments and oversee their progress
Offer training to new employees and training on new equipment to existing employees
Keep precise records and work with sellers to purchase new equipment at a good price

The position of a telecommunications manager requires a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications or a related area, previous experience, and strong managerial skills. The telecommunications manager should also keep track of new developments in the field, and comply with the obligatory rules and regulations for the operation of telecommunications systems. You can apply for one of the best paying jobs in telecommunication equipment on the following links:

2. Antenna Engineer

If you check the salary data on Talent.com you’ll see that the average annual salary of an antenna engineer in the US is $135,800, equivalent to an hourly salary of $69.64. The average annual salary for entry-level positions starts at $76,050, while the most experienced antenna engineers earn $160,500.

These are the top 3 regions in the US where antenna engineers earn the highest salary:

Virginia: average annual salary of $234,000
California: average annual salary of $142,900
Maryland: average annual salary of $136,200

Besides having one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment, as an antenna engineer, you’ll have the opportunity to:

Plan and develops antennas and other communication devices
Work with electronic equipment like modems, mobile phones, satellite equipment, and radio antennas
Analyze and meet the company’s requirements
Make budget proposals for development projects
Produce design prototypes for testing and performance review
Know radio frequency (RF) ranges

To be competitive in the labor market, it’s wise to obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical engineering or a related area. It’s not necessary but it’s surely helpful to have a professional engineer license if you want to find a quality position and show your engineering skills. If you meet the necessary criteria for the position of antenna engineer, check out the following jobs prospects before applying:

3. VoIP Engineer

The average annual salary of a VoIP engineer in the US is $105,000, equivalent to an hourly salary of $53.85. The average annual salary for entry-level positions starts at $85,000 while the most experienced workers earn up to $140,000.

The regions with the highest annual salaries for VoIP engineers in the US are:

Hawaii: average salary of $156,000
Massachusetts: average salary of $135,000
New Jersey: average salary of $126,750

If you decide to become a VoIP engineer, you’ll be responsible for:

Facilitating IP voice communication
Designing, configuring, and running telephone and communications systems
Planning, and offering support to new or already existing VoIP systems
Preparing operating guidelines and procedures
Creating client and server structural designs to support the telephone systems
Research and resolve communication issues
Monitoring current systems to make sure they are working properly
Creating project status reports

For one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment, it’s necessary to have a bachelor’s degree in computer sciences, IT, or an associated field, and previous experience in the field of telecommunications. As a VoIP engineer, you should be prepared to collaborate with IT management, colleagues, other departments, program managers, and clients to create a business strategy. Here are some job opportunities for you to consider if you want to work as a VoIP engineer:

4. IC Design Engineer

According to Comparably the average annual salary of an Integrated Circuit Design Engineer (IC Design Engineer) in the US is $101,037. The city with the highest salaries for IC design engineers in the US is Los Angeles, with an average annual salary of $101,037, the same as the US average. The US salary range for the position of IC Design Engineer is between $63,430 and $151,990, while the top 80% earn $151,990.

The job responsibilities in one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment, IC design are:

Create integrated circuits for project needs
Test circuits
Be familiar with different electronic components
Change general project goals into specific design goals
Be capable of modifying designs as required
Develop and produce new integrated circuits
Write reports to production managers.

If this is something you are good at, to pursue a career in telecommunications equipment you need a post-secondary education, usually an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering. You can choose to develop your skills through voluntary work with circuits and amplifiers, or you may acquire further experience through graduate school. To become an IC design engineer beside the required qualification you need to know circuitry and math and have experience with AutoCAD and other drafting software.

If you have the skills and qualifications to become an IC design engineer, start applying:

5. Data Scientist

The average annual salary of a data scientist in the US is $97,609, according to Payscale’s data. If you have less than one year of experience in the field, you’ll earn an average annual salary of $85,737. If you have one to four years of experience as a data scientist your average annual salary will be $96,585. Five to nine years of experience will help you earn an average annual salary of $111,050, and ten to nineteen years of experience salary of $123,348. The most experienced data scientists have an average annual salary of $136,819.

For even more information on the top 3 best paying cities and states for data scientists check out US. News data:

San Francisco, California: $148,680
San Jose, California: $146,400
New York, New York: $129,250
California: $129,060
New York: $124,240
Washington: $118,320

Besides having one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment as a data scientist you’ll have the opportunity to:

Collect, analyze, and interpret sizable data sets
Elaborate data-driven solutions
Extract operational data from valuable data sources
Increase data collection procedures to incorporate significant information for developing analytic systems
Process and validate data integrity for analysis
Analyze huge amounts of information to find displays and solutions
Develop estimation systems and machine learning algorithms
Recommend solutions and strategies to confront business challenges

A bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or economics is the most common qualification for the position of a data scientist. If you have the qualification and technical competencies, don’t hesitate and start applying:

6. Wireless Communications Engineer

The average annual salary of a wireless communications engineer on Ziprecruiter is $92,119, equivalent to an hourly salary of $44.29, a weekly salary of $1,771, and a monthly salary of $7,676.

Location-wise, these are the top 3 cities with the highest annual salary for wireless communications engineers:

Green River, WY: annual salary of $117,040
Atkinson, NE: annual salary of $114,272
San Francisco, CA: annual salary of $107,595

Impressive numbers placed the position of a wireless communications engineer on our list of best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment. Once you become a wireless communications engineer you’ll focus on:

The use of wireless technology
Work with electronics, wireless phones, broadband networks, and systems, routers, modems, and more
Demonstration of new products for a specific device
Efficiency increase of existing designs
System design for optimum signal strength, speed, security, and ability of the network
Network maintenance for full work capacity

If you want to qualify for the position of wireless communications engineer it’s necessary to obtain a bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, engineering, or an associated area. It’s also helpful to have certification in different courses like database engineering, electronic, communication engineering, and telecommunications. For employers to like you even more you should have both hardware and software skills and previous practical experience at lower-level positions within wireless communications technology. It’s not mandatory, but it’s beneficial to obtain Professional licensure for engineers. If you think you can make it as a wireless communications engineer, check out the following job opportunities:

7. Broadband Engineer

The average annual salary of a broadband engineer in the US is $87,053, as of October 14, 2022, equivalent to an hourly salary of $41.85, a weekly salary of $1,674, and a monthly salary of $7,254. According to ZipRecruiter the highest salaries of a broadband engineer go as high as $132,000 and as low as $22,000, while most of the broadband engineers’ salaries at the moment range from $68,500 to $105,500 with the top earners making an average annual salary of $116,500.

Let’s see what’s the job’s description of one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment, a broadband engineer:

Installing, maintaining, and fixing telecommunications network
Troubleshooting problems related to the telecommunications network
Ensuring proper functioning of telecommunications connection
Creating user accounts, and supervising network activity
Compiling, coding, and verifying collected data

To become a broadband engineer, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications or a similar field. Besides the basic qualifications, you’ll also need work experience with computer software, software development, and coding. Sometimes employers require appropriate professional certifications. If you’re ready to search the labor market for high-paying jobs for broadband engineers, make sure to check out these job opportunities:

8. Telecommunication Specialist

The average annual salary of a telecommunications specialist in the US is $81,402 as of September 26, 2022, while the salary range is from $71,574 to $95,509. As in every other profession, the salary ranges vary depending on many factors, like qualifications, certifications, additional skills, and experience.

Once you become a telecommunications specialist you’ll be responsible for:

Providing telecommunications support
Ensuring proper functioning and maintenance of telecommunication devices
Offering customer support for technical requests, handling data to find possible issues
Processing voice mail and calling card demands
Maintaining privacy regulations when evaluating telecommunication logs and accounts
Developing creative resolutions to telecommunication issues
Attending training and mentoring sessions when applying new technologies

To become a telecommunication specialist and acquire one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications, engineering, or a related area. Often employers require previous experience in a telecommunications capacity. To be successful in the position of telecommunications specialist you must have great analytical skills, and be equally good as a team player on your own. For even better chances at winning the job, you need to be skillful in using and maintaining video and telephone systems. If that’s settled, wait no longer and start applying:

9. Telecommunications Engineer

According to Payscale’s research, the average annual salary of a telecommunications engineer in the US is $80,606. Here’s how the salary varies if we consider the experience in the field:

Telecommunications Engineer with less than a year of experience has an average annual salary (with tips, bonus, and overtime) of $66,458 (established on 24 salaries)
Telecommunications Engineer with one to four years of experience has an average annual salary of $65,841 (established on 79 salaries)
Telecommunications Engineer with five to nine years of experience has an average annual salary of $76,906 (established on 73 salaries)
Telecommunications Engineer with ten to nineteen years of experience has an average annual salary of $89,514 (established on 78 salaries)
Late career telecommunications engineer with twenty years of experience and higher has an average annual salary of $94,738

If you decided to be a future telecommunications engineer be prepared for the following duties:

Work with the company’s Ethernet, operating system, security/firewall systems, and computer network
Work with every aspect of the company’s IT operations.
Design, construct, and monitor complicated telecommunication equipment, broadcasting equipment like complex electronic switching systems, telephone facilities, video conferencing links, and fiber optics
Work in different telecommunication fields (telephone, internet, radio, television, and satellite communication)
Manage and monitor solutions like Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) to track calls

To get one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment and become a telecommunications engineer you need a bachelor’s degree in engineering, or a bachelor’s degree in engineering majoring in telecommunications engineering, or complete postgraduate study to specialize in electronic and communication engineering. Also, there’s the possibility to gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng) professional status for even higher regard by employers. Now that you know the know-how, wait no longer, and start applying:

10. Fiber Design Engineer

The average annual salary of a fiber design engineer in the US is $80,262, equivalent to an hourly salary of $38.59, a weekly salary of $1,543, and a monthly salary of $6,688. The salary range of a fiber design engineer is from $59,500 to $100,500, while the top earners make $106,500 annually.

The cities with the highest annual salaries for fiber design engineers are as follows:

Atkinson, NE: average annual salary of $107,199
Lake Marcel-Stillwater, WA: average annual salary of $93,420
New York City, NY: average annual salary of $93,359

Inspiring numbers for one of the best paying jobs in telecommunications equipment, don’t you agree? To see these numbers on your paycheck you should:

Known how to design optic cable systems
Design fiber, improve route maps for cable
Assessing the cabling terrain
Plan budgets for projects
Establish the material types needed to complete orders
Ensure you have the proper inventory for each project
Pass your design to a contractor or project manager for implementation

For the position of fiber design engineer, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in civil or optical engineering, additional educational training, qualifications, and practical experience in the field. Also be prepared to work outside surveying the land, and assessing the land rights along the project route. If this is something you’re good at, here are some job positions for you to consider:

Conclusion

While other industries are declining and experiencing a labor shortage the telecommunications equipment industry is continuously growing and advancing its network capacity to meet the ongoing need for higher-speed networks. Now’s the time to pursue a career in this high-paying industry, and land one of the best jobs in telecommunications equipment.

Wait no longer! Review and compare the data from our list, weigh your options, and apply for the job that meets your talent, qualifications, skills, and salary expectations. Good luck!

10 Best Paying Jobs in Telecommunications Equipment (Up to $173,000 Average Annual Salary)

What is Telecommunication Equipment?