O*NET-SOC 49-9052.00 / model V11 rated-task engine

Will AI replace
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers?

Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

Estimated AI task exposure

Low exposure

V11 weights occupation tasks using O*NET Importance, Relevance and Frequency ratings instead of treating every task equally.

20 tasks have usable Task Rating records; weighted-task coverage is 100%.

Digital/info work

27/100

Physical moat

84/100

Human moat

16/100

Rating coverage

100%

20 task statements / 20 rated

Highest-weighted occupation tasks

Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.

Importance 85/100Relevance 92/100Frequency 68/100Weight 0.83

Clean or maintain tools or test equipment.

Importance 79/100Relevance 96/100Frequency 64/100Weight 0.82

Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.

Importance 84/100Relevance 83/100Frequency 65/100Weight 0.79

Access specific areas to string lines, or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces.

Importance 76/100Relevance 86/100Frequency 56/100Weight 0.75

Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, such as digital subscriber line modems.

Importance 77/100Relevance 67/100Frequency 69/100Weight 0.71

Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches.

Importance 69/100Relevance 80/100Frequency 37/100Weight 0.65

Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories.

Importance 76/100Relevance 65/100Frequency 68/100Weight 0.70

Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment.

Importance 75/100Relevance 61/100Frequency 56/100Weight 0.65

Pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches.

Importance 63/100Relevance 72/100Frequency 34/100Weight 0.59

Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks.

Importance 54/100Relevance 76/100Frequency 35/100Weight 0.58

Task weighting

Each rated task receives a composite weight: 38% relevance, 37% importance and 25% frequency. Core tasks receive a small additional multiplier. Low-precision rows flagged by O*NET for suppression are excluded.

Occupation scoring

When rating coverage is strong, rated tasks contribute 60% of the digital, physical and human task signals and Work Activities contribute 40%. Lower-coverage occupations automatically rely more on Work Activities.

U.S. labor market

BLS Wage & Employment Outlook

Median annual wage

$74,330

BLS OEWS May 2025

National employment

97,720

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

-3.4%

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Average annual openings

8

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

BLS labor-market figures are separate from the site's AI-exposure model. Missing values mean a compatible detailed BLS occupation estimate was not published or could not be mapped.

Career pivot radar

Safer Career Alternatives

These options are selected from the same 923-occupation model. They favor a similar task/work profile with meaningfully lower estimated AI exposure. They are suggestions for exploration, not guarantees of job fit.

SAFER ALTERNATIVE