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Job outlook for telecom specialists in the United States
Are telecom specialist jobs in demand?
Telecom specialist job and salary trends over time
Telecom specialist jobs over time
Telecom specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,201 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,567 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,782 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,690 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,872 | 0.00% |
Average telecom specialist salary over time
Telecom specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,231 | $35.69 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $71,785 | $34.51 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $70,160 | $33.73 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $69,100 | $33.22 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $67,971 | $32.68 | +1.6% |
Telecom specialist jobs by state
Most common states for telecom specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 372 | 54% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 140 | 19% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 107 | 17% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 300 | 16% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,249 | 15% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 879 | 15% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 154 | 15% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 141 | 15% |
| 9 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 87 | 15% |
| 10 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 425 | 14% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 118 | 14% |
| 12 | Alaska | 739,795 | 102 | 14% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 903 | 13% |
| 14 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 390 | 13% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 173 | 13% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 126 | 12% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 638 | 11% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 457 | 11% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 188 | 11% |
| 20 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 163 | 11% |
Most common cities for telecom specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raleigh | 3 | 1% | $73,871 |
| 2 | Winston-Salem | 3 | 1% | $72,828 |
| 3 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $68,318 |
| 4 | Cedar Rapids | 1 | 1% | $67,515 |
| 5 | Jacksonville | 1 | 1% | $73,560 |
Telecom Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of telecom specialist experts
New York University
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
What will help Telecom Specialists increase their earning potential?
Jason Nichols PhD: Build your experience base through internships and industry projects, and brag about these experiences when you interview. Collect professional certificates to compliment your degree. Security and cloud computing are excellent areas to pursue these in right now. AI and machine learning as well, of course. Build a structured skillset in problem solving and critical thinking, and demonstrate this skillset in your discussions with future employers. Map all of these efforts into a coherent story about yourself in your applications, and how they have shaped you to be a tech-savvy business problem solver, with a strong understanding of both the business and the technology. This foundation prepares you for so very many roles in our field, and businesses recognize and actively seek out this profile in their job candidates. Use the resources available to you. If you need additional time for more formal training, join a masters program. Join us for a masters program, actually. Our AI in Business masters program is launching this Fall, and is open for enrollment currently. Visit us here to learn more: https://wpcarey.asu.edu/masters-programs/ai-business
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Telecom Specialist job market given the pandemic?
Shivendra Panwar: Jobs in areas like AI/ML, 5G/6G, and AR/VR will continue to grow, but now on an accelerated schedule due to the need exposed by the pandemic. Our graduates have had no problems getting jobs, especially in companies that have done well in the pandemic, like Amazon.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Telecom Specialists to find work opportunities?
Dan Brown: Some tech and knowledge economy workers often have the luxury of being remote, while others are hands-on with the physical ICT infrastructure, wherever it may be. That said, specific ICT hot spots include Northern California's Bay area, Texas, the Eastern Seaboard, with special mention of the DC area as the site of the new Amazon HQ2, as well as the Dulles Technology Corridor, which has become known as "data center alley," where an estimated 70% of internet traffic flows in and out. That said, there are plenty of other cities described in Steve Case's The Rise of the Rest, where access to technology, education, and capital exists along with a much lower cost of living than in traditional tech hubs. I cannot see us as a society ever going back to pre-covid ratio of in-person to remote work, but my sense is that it would be helpful to being recruited remotely if you are connected to an online professional community like TIA's LinkedIn Group.