Telecommunications Engineer
A telecommunications engineer designs, develops, and maintains communication systems and network infrastructure for voice, data, and video transmission across fixed and mobile networks.
What this job is
A telecommunications engineer designs, develops, and maintains communication systems and network infrastructure for voice, data, and video transmission across fixed and mobile networks. They work in Australian telecommunications companies, government agencies, or consulting firms to ensure network performance, capacity, and compliance with Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) standards. The role involves troubleshooting network faults, optimising system performance, and planning network expansion or upgrades.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 26.4% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Design telecommunications network architectures and system configurations using network modelling software and CAD tools. Conduct site surveys and feasibility assessments for network deployment in regional and remote Australian locations. Specify equipment requirements and prepare technical documentation for procurement of telecommunications hardware and software. Configure and test network infrastructure including routers, switches, transmission equipment, and mobile base stations. Analyse network performance metrics and traffic patterns to identify bottlenecks and optimise bandwidth allocation. Troubleshoot network faults using diagnostic tools such as spectrum analysers, protocol analysers, and network monitoring software. Ensure compliance with ACMA regulations, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) standards, and Australian Telecommunications Standards. Prepare technical reports and present network design solutions to stakeholders and project teams.
Who does this now
About 10,600 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Bachelor degree or higher (ABS skill level 1)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll need a bachelor degree in engineering or IT to get your foot in the door, and the field is shifting fast toward automation and AI-driven network management. Your hands-on troubleshooting skills may become less valuable over time. Also, on-call rotations for network emergencies are common, meaning you could be called out at 2am when something breaks.
Where the jobs are
Practically speaking, you'll find concentrated work in capital cities with large data centres. Regional and remote site surveys happen, but the permanent roles are metro-based. Remote work is possible for some planning and design work, but network monitoring and field work require being on or near the infrastructure.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 2633, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Digital Literacycore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Process Documentationcore
- Process Improvement Identificationcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Report Writingcore
- Research and Analysiscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Written Communicationcore
- ABAP
- Active Listening
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Cisco
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Incident Reporting
- Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
- Negotiation
- Power BI Reporting and Dashboards
- Reporting and Analytics
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Telecommunications Engineer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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