What is the salary and career path for a wireless technician?
Wireless technician is a close match to Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-2021), the BLS code for technicians who install and service radio and cellular equipment. OEWS May 2025 sets the median at $63,520 a year ($30.54 an hour), from $44,460 at the 10th percentile to $103,990 at the 90th, with RF tuning and 5G integration skill toward the top. Employment Projections show 8.6% growth over 2024–2034, faster than average, though the code is small at about 1,200 openings a year. No license is required; RF and vendor equipment training plus tower and safety certifications are the hiring bar.
- Wireless Technicians earn a national median $63,520/yr ($30.54/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2021); the top 10% clear $103,990.
- No license is required; RF and vendor equipment training plus tower-climbing and RF-safety certifications are the hiring bar.
- BLS projects 8.6% growth for 2024–34 across the radio-and-cellular-equipment code, faster than average but small at about 1,200 openings a year.
- The ladder runs from wireless trainee through wireless and RF technician to site lead near $103,990.
Career Path
How do you become a wireless technician?
Wireless Technician Trainee
Assists on radio and antenna installs under a lead; pay near the BLS 10th percentile.
Wireless Technician
Installs, tunes and maintains cellular radio equipment — around the $63,520 median.
Senior Wireless / RF Technician
Owns integration, optimization and complex sites; earnings near the 75th percentile.
Wireless Site Lead / Foreman
Runs a wireless crew and site standards; top-decile pay near the 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays wireless technicians the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2021. National median: $63,520. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does wireless technician pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles wireless technicians most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: wireless technicians rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +8.6% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly wireless technicians clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2021 (wireless technicians) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do wireless technicians need?
Vendor certifications on the base-station radios and antennas a carrier deploys. See all state licences →
Tower-climbing and RF-safety credentials required for wireless site work.
RF and interference credentials plus fiber and PIM testing skills for modern sites.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do wireless technicians use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 49-2021
Salary Levers
How do wireless technicians earn above the $63,520 BLS median?
RF tuning and 5G integration
Optimization and 5G skill move pay from the $44,460 entry toward the median and top decile.
Climbing and vendor certifications
Authorized-climber status and manufacturer credentials raise earning power above the entry tier.
Site-lead and foreman roles
Wireless site-lead and foreman positions reach toward the $103,990 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a wireless technician worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2021. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Wireless Technician Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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