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Telecommunications Technical Specialists

ANZSCO ID 3132

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,300
Future Growth
1.6%
Weekly Earnings
$1,885
Full-Time Share
90%
Female Share
10%
Average age
43
About this data

Summary

Telecommunications Technical Specialists develop, monitor and carry out technical support functions for telecommunications networks and install computer equipment, computer systems and microwave, telemetry, multiplexing, satellite and other radio and electromagnetic wave communication systems.

Tasks

  • installing, maintaining, repairing and diagnosing malfunctions of microwave, telemetry, multiplexing, satellite and other radio and electromagnetic wave communication systems

  • configuring and integrating network and telecommunications technology with computer software, hardware, desktops, peripherals, databases and operating systems

  • developing and recording logs of the details, locations and status of inventories, parts, equipment and instruments and maintaining the documentation of communication policies, procedures, guidelines and regulations, and quality standards

  • providing technical advice and information, and monitoring the performance of complex telecommunications networks and equipment

  • planning the development of customer access telecommunications network infrastructure

  • liaising with vendors, suppliers, service providers and external resources and monitoring contractual obligations and performance delivery

  • providing ongoing operational support in designing, optimising, troubleshooting, diagnosing, repairing and resolving of telecommunications network performance malfunctions, defects and faults

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
3132 Telecommunications Technical Specialists This occupation is Current selected
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers in this occupation is likely to remain stable.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
1.6%
(or 100 jobs)
From
4,400
in 2021
To
4,500
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 6,900
2012 6,100
2013 2,100
2014 5,100
2015 2,900
2016 5,500
2017 6,200
2018 4,500
2019 3,300
2020 2,200
2021 4,400
2026 4,500

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 93% of people employed as Telecommunications Technical Specialists work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 27 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,885 per week, this is much higher than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,730
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $2,115

    Median hourly earnings are $50, this is more than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Telecommunications Technical Specialists All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,885 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.

Industries

Main industries

1
Information Media and Telecommunications
60.0%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
20.0%
3
Other Services
8.0%
4
Construction
4.0%
5
Other industries
4.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

30.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

17.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

7.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Telecommunications Technical Specialists All Jobs Average
NSW 33.4 31.6
VIC 30.1 25.6
QLD 17.8 20.0
SA 6.1 7.0
WA 7.7 10.8
TAS 2.4 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 1.8 1.9


  • Around 74% of Telecommunications Technical Specialists live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
43
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
10%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Telecommunications Technical Specialists is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 10% of the workforce. This is 38 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Telecommunications Technical Specialists All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 3.9 9.3
25-34 23.5 22.9
35-44 25.3 22.0
45-54 26.3 21.6
55-59 11.1 9.0
60-64 7.0 6.0
65 and Over 2.5 4.2
Median Age 43 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in telecommunications technology or electrotechnology is usually needed to work as a Telecommunications Technical Specialist. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Transmission & Distribution VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Telecommunications Technical Specialists All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 10.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 21.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 24.5 11.6
Certificate III/IV 28.7 21.1
Year 12 9.7 18.1
Year 11 2.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 3.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Telecommunications Technical Specialists who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 54%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 52%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 52%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 50%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 50%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 50%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 46%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 46%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 45%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 45%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 45%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 41%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 36%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 86%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 73%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 70%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 65%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 61%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 61%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 61%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 58%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 56%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 46%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 44%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 43%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 42%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 41%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 41%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 38%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 37%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 37%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 35%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 52%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 52%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 52%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 50%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 48%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 48%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 46%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 46%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 45%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 43%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 84%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 77%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 72%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 71%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 71%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 70%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 69%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 69%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 68%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 68%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 66%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 66%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 65%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 63%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 61%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 59%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 58%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 57%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 52%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 86%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 76%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 71%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 67%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 57%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 52%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 48%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 98%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 98%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 86%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 82%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 81%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 80%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 78%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 73%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 72%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 69%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 67%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 65%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 63%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 63%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-1143.01 - Telecommunications Engineering Specialists.

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