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Telecommunications technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a telecommunications technician. Telecommunications technicians usually study electrical engineering, business, or electrical engineering technology. 35% of telecommunications technicians hold a associate degree, and 29% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 7,514 real telecommunications technician resumes to see exactly what telecommunications technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for telecommunications technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

There are also many online telecommunications technician courses to help get the education required to be a telecommunications technician.

There are certain telecommunications technician certifications that you should consider. These telecommunications technician certifications include Telecommunications (TCM) and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).

What education do you need to become a telecommunications technician?

What degree do you need to be a telecommunications technician?

The most common degree for telecommunications technicians is associate degree, with 35% of telecommunications technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 21%.
  • Associate, 35%
  • Bachelor's, 29%
  • High School Diploma, 21%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a telecommunications technician?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a telecommunications technician. 20% of telecommunications technicians major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a telecommunications technician include business and electrical engineering technology.

Most common colleges for telecommunications technicians

Telecommunications technicians often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for telecommunications technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Telecommunications technician common collegePercentages
DeVry University25.56%
University of Phoenix13.70%
University of Maryland - College Park7.78%
Strayer University6.30%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale4.44%

Best majors for telecommunications technicians

Best colleges for telecommunications technicians

The best colleges for telecommunications technicians are Northeastern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A telecommunications technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for telecommunications technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become telecommunications technicians.

1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

6. Baker College

Owosso, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$9,800

Enrollment

8,319

7. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Enrollment

10,203

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Enrollment

4,155

9. Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, AR • Private

In-state tuition

$8,607

Enrollment

8,623

10. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

20 best online courses for telecommunications technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for telecommunications technicians

The most affordable schools for telecommunications technicians are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico ponce.

If the best universities for telecommunications technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for telecommunications technicians.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

5. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

6. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas

Barranquitas, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,479

7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for telecommunications technicians

The hardest universities for telecommunications technicians to get into are Northeastern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for telecommunications technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for telecommunications technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for telecommunications technicians

The easiest schools for telecommunications technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a telecommunications technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for telecommunications technicians.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

5. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

6. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

7. Montana Technological University

Butte, MT • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,199

8. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

Average telecommunications technician salary by education level

According to our data, telecommunications technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,701 annually. Telecommunications technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,489.
Telecommunications technician education levelTelecommunications technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$40,998
Bachelor's Degree$43,489
Some College/ Associate Degree$43,701

Telecommunications technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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