Telecommunications Field Engineer

A telecommunications field engineer installs, maintains, and repairs telecommunications infrastructure and customer equipment at outdoor and indoor sites across Australia. They diagnose network faults using test equipment, perform preventive maintenance on copper and fibre-optic cabling systems, and ensure compliance with Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) regulations and workplace safety standards.

Install telecommunications cabling, conduits, and distribution frames at customer premises and network nodes, following relevant Australian Standards and ACMA cabling rules. Test copper and fibre-optic transmission lines using optical time-domain reflectometers (OTDRs), multimeters, and signal analysers to identify faults and measure signal strength. Diagnose and repair faults in telephone exchanges, mobile network base stations, and broadband network termination units by isolating circuits and replacing faulty modules. Perform preventive maintenance schedules on telecommunications equipment including cleaning contacts, checking power supplies, and verifying backup battery systems. Splice and terminate optical fibre cables using fusion splicers and mechanical connectors, maintaining minimum bend radius and loss specifications. Climb telecommunications towers and poles while adhering to Safe Work Australia height work regulations, using harnesses, lanyards, and safety equipment. Configure and test customer connection equipment such as modem units, network interface devices, and wireless access points to ensure service delivery. Document work activities, fault findings, and remedial actions in job management systems and lodge compliance reports with site supervisors.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). 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.

You'll be climbing towers and poles in all weather, often at heights over 20 metres with strict safety gear requirements. The work is physically demanding and carries genuine injury risk. You also need formal height-work certification and ongoing compliance training, which takes time and money to maintain.

In practice, jobs concentrate in metro areas where network density is highest, but regional and rural areas need field engineers too, especially for NBN rollout and maintenance. Most work is onsite at customer premises or network nodes rather than remote.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3132, 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.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Documentationcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• SLA and KPI Adherencecore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• ABAP
• Active Listening
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Calibrate electronic instruments
• Cisco
• CoffeeScript
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Digital Literacy
• Escalation Management
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Process Improvement Identification
• Record Management
• Research and Analysis
• Workload Self-Management

• 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.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026