US dataswitch to UK

Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers

demonstrating equipment to customers and explaining, routing and connecting cables and lines and maintaining computer and manual records pertaining to facilities and equipment. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: testing repaired, newly installed or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 14%
changing shape: 13%
staying human: 73%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 20 out of 100 (17–25 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, across 39 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

What shifts is performing database verifications, using computers: the overhead at the edges, not the middle you trained for.

Your week, as this page understands it

Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers' property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings. The job title says “telecommunications equipment installers”, “repairers” or “except line installers”: officially one job, several names. The real job is the part underneath: testing repaired, newly installed or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers is not one task. It is 39 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is testing repaired, newly installed or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 14%
changing shape: 13%
staying human: 73%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

One row is marked low confidence, so treat it as a ballpark rather than a fine measurement.
2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

6 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Maintaining computer and manual records pertaining to facilities and equipment
This is reading one thing and writing another: computer in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Maintain computer and manual records pertaining to facilities and equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping equipment and facility records up to date is exactly the kind of record work software does well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Referring to manufacturers' manuals to obtain maintenance instructions pertaining to specific malfunctions
This is reading one thing and writing another: manufacturers' manuals in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Refer to manufacturers' manuals to obtain maintenance instructions pertaining to specific malfunctions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Looking up the right maintenance instructions in a manual is searching documents, which software does very well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Performing database verifications, using computers
This is reading one thing and writing another: database verifications in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Perform database verifications, using computers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 93 out of 100 (89–97 allowing for uncertainty): very high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Checking records in a database against what should be there is pure screen work that software does reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Reviewing manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications, building permits and ordinances to determine communication equipment requirements and procedures
This is reading one thing and writing another: manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Review manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications, building permits, and ordinances to determine communication equipment requirements and procedures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading manuals, specifications, permits and local rules to work out what is needed is document research.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Changing shape

6 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Requesting support from technical service centers when on-site procedures fail to solve installation or maintenance problems
The software now makes the first pass at support, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Request support from technical service centers when on-site procedures fail to solve installation or maintenance problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing up a problem and asking a technical center for help is a routine written request.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Analyzing test readings, computer printouts and trouble reports to determine equipment repair needs and required repair methods
The software now makes the first pass at test readings, computer printouts and trouble reports, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Analyze test readings, computer printouts, and trouble reports to determine equipment repair needs and required repair methods.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (52–60 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Reading test results and trouble reports to work out what needs repairing is pattern-matching software is good at.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Designating cables available
The software now makes the first pass at cables available, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Designate cables available for use.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Marking which cables are free for use is a records job done on a system.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

27 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Testing repaired, newly installed or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms
This work happens in the physical world: repaired, newly installed or updated equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Confirming equipment works means physically testing it on site with instruments.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Testing circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions
This work happens in the physical world: circuits, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Finding a fault means putting meters and probes on real circuits.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Demonstrating equipment to customers and explaining
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 20 out of 100 (13–27 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Showing a customer how equipment works and handling their complaints happens face to face at the site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Show the other 29 tasks

Diagnosing and correcting problems from remote locations
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: problems in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Diagnose and correct problems from remote locations, using special switchboards to find the sources of problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Fixing faults remotely from a switchboard is already screen-based work, so software can take on much of it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Entering codes needed to correct electronic switching system programming
shifting to AI
This is reading one thing and writing another: codes in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Enter codes needed to correct electronic switching system programming.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 69 out of 100 (65–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Entering correction codes into switching software is routine data entry.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Programing computerized switches and switchboards to provide requested features
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at computerized switches, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Program computerized switches and switchboards to provide requested features.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Programming switches to add features is configuration work done at a terminal and well suited to software.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Installing updated software and programs that maintain existing software or provide requested features
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at updated software, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Install updated software and programs that maintain existing software or provide requested features, such as time-correlated call routing.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Installing and updating software and features is screen work that can largely be scripted.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Providing input into the design and manufacturing of new equipment
changing shape
The software now makes the first pass at input, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Provide input into the design and manufacturing of new equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (31–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, low confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Feeding design ideas back from field experience is written input, though the useful knowledge comes from doing the job.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Communicating with bases
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: bases, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Communicate with bases, using telephones or two-way radios to receive instructions or technical advice, or to report equipment status.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 21 out of 100 (14–28 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Radio and phone check-ins with base are short, routine exchanges, but they happen from the job site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Addressing special issues or situations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: special issues, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Address special issues or situations, such as illegal or unauthorized use of equipment, or cases of electrical or acoustic shock.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Dealing with equipment misuse or a shock incident means attending and handling the situation in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Determining viability of sites through observation
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: viability of sites, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Determine viability of sites through observation, and discuss site locations and construction requirements with customers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Judging a site and talking construction requirements through with the customer means being there with them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Adjusting or modifying equipment to enhance equipment performance or to respond to customer requests
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Adjust or modify equipment to enhance equipment performance or to respond to customer requests.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Some tuning is a settings change, but much of adjusting equipment means hands on the hardware.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Examining telephone transmission facilities to determine requirements for new or additional telephone services
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: telephone transmission facilities, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Examine telephone transmission facilities to determine requirements for new or additional telephone services.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Judging what a site's transmission facilities can support means going out and examining them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Collaborating with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: other workers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 7 out of 100 (0–14 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Talking a fault through with colleagues can be assisted, but correcting it means hands on the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Noting differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: differences, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Note differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Telling wire colors apart is something the person doing the wiring does by eye.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Driving crew trucks to and from work areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: crew trucks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Drive crew trucks to and from work areas.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Driving the crew truck requires a person behind the wheel.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Inspecting equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Regular equipment checks mean going to the equipment and looking at it.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Repairing or replacing faulty equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: faulty equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Repair or replace faulty equipment, such as defective and damaged telephones, wires, switching system components, and associated equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Repairing or swapping faulty phones, wires and switch parts is hands-on work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Removing and remaking connections to change circuit layouts
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: connections, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Remove and remake connections to change circuit layouts, following work orders or diagrams.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Changing circuit layouts means physically remaking connections at the frame.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Removing loose wires and other debris after work
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: loose wires, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Remove loose wires and other debris after work is completed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Clearing away loose wires and debris is physical tidying at the work site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Assembling and installing communication equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: communication equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Assembling and installing communication equipment is hands-on work with real hardware.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Testing connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: connections, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Test connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking that power and links actually work means putting instruments on the equipment itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Climbing poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms and entering areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: poles, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Climbing poles and entering manholes is physical work that can only be done in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Running wires between components and to outside cable systems
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: wires, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running wires between components and out to outside cables is physical installation work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Removing and replacing plug-in circuit equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: plug-in circuit equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Remove and replace plug-in circuit equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Pulling out and replacing plug-in circuit cards is physical work at the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Routing and connecting cables and lines
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: cables, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Route and connect cables and lines to switches, switchboard equipment, and distributing frames, using wire-wrap guns or soldering irons to connect wires to terminals.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Routing and soldering cables onto frames is hands-on wiring work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning and maintaining tools, test equipment and motor vehicles
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: tools, test equipment and motor vehicles, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Clean and maintain tools, test equipment, and motor vehicles.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning tools, test gear and vehicles is physical upkeep.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: routine maintenance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Perform routine maintenance on equipment, including adjusting and lubricating components and painting worn or exposed areas.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Adjusting, lubricating and painting equipment is physical maintenance.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Measuring distances from landmarks to identify exact installation sites for equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: distances, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Measure distances from landmarks to identify exact installation sites for equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Measuring from landmarks to fix an installation point has to be done at the location.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Cleaning switches and replacing contact points
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: switches, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Clean switches and replace contact points, using vacuum hoses, solvents, and hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning switches and replacing contact points is hands-on work with tools.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Digging holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: holes, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Dig holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Digging holes and trenches is physical labor.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Installing telephone station equipment, such as intercommunication systems, transmitters, receivers, relays and ringers and related apparatus
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: telephone station equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Install telephone station equipment, such as intercommunication systems, transmitters, receivers, relays, and ringers, and related apparatus, such as coin collectors, telephone booths, and switching-key equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Installing phones, relays, ringers and booths is physical installation work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $63,890a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 140,920in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: database verifications in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: performing database verifications, using computers and maintaining computer and manual records pertaining to facilities and equipment. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where repaired, newly installed or updated equipment get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: testing repaired, newly installed or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 14% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 13% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 73% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 39 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Performing database verifications, using computers is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to database verifications, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether repaired, newly installed or updated equipment are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near requesting support from technical service centers when on-site procedures fail to solve installation or maintenance problems. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers: only about 5% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 20/100 here, with only 14% of the task list in the top band, and “test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already repair or replace faulty equipment, and their equivalent is to repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring. Across both published task lists that is about 5% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 5% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already clean and maintain tools, test equipment, and motor vehicles, and their equivalent is to clean or maintain tools or test equipment. Across both published task lists that is about 5% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 5% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly…, and their equivalent is to set up and test industrial equipment to ensure that it functions properly. Across both published task lists that is about 4% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 4% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 14% of its task weight, across 39 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like testing repaired, newly installed or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Computer system and equipment installers and servicers is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

Tv, video and audio servicers and repairers

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Computer system and equipment installers and servicers and Tv, video and audio servicers and repairers. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
American Job Center locator
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
- CareerOneStop local help hub
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop
Free

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for telecommunications equipment installers / repairers / except line installers, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 14% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for telecommunications equipment installers / repairers / except line installers. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for telecommunications equipment installers / repairers / except line installers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for telecommunications equipment installers / repairers / except line installers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for telecommunications equipment installers / repairers / except line installers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for telecommunications equipment installers / repairers / except line installers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 39 official task statements scored for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers (United States, SOC 49-2022), 14% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 20 out of 100 (range 17–25, band: low). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Perform database verifications, using computers” (93/100, very high); “Review manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications, building permits, and ordinances to determine communication equipment requirements and…” (75/100, high); “Refer to manufacturers' manuals to obtain maintenance instructions pertaining to specific malfunctions” (75/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers” stay human?: About 73% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Install telephone station equipment, such as intercommunication systems, transmitters, receivers, relays, and ringers, and related apparatus, such as coin co…” (0/100, minimal); “Dig holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access” (0/100, minimal); “Clean switches and replace contact points, using vacuum hoses, solvents, and hand tools” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 14% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 73% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 39 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

One row is marked low confidence, so treat it as a ballpark rather than a fine measurement.
The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-04.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.