Experienced repairers with advanced training may become specialists or troubleshooters who help other repairers diagnose difficult problems, or work with engineers in designing equipment and developing maintenance procedures.

Because of their familiarity with equipment, repairers are particularly well qualified to become manufacturers' sales workers. Workers with leadership ability also may become maintenance supervisors or service managers. Some experienced workers open their own repair services or shops, or become wholesalers or retailers of electronic equipment.

Overall, employment of electronic equipment repairers is expected to grow slower than the average for all occupations through the year 2006. Although the amount of electronic equipment in use will grow very rapidly, improvements in product reliability and ease of service and lower equipment prices will dampen the need for repairers.

Employment of computer equipment repairers will grow much faster the than average for all occupations through the year 2006 as the number of computers in service increases rapidly. Employment of commercial and industrial equipment repairers outside the Federal Government will increase faster than the national average as the amount of equipment grows. Mainly because of cuts in the defense budget, their employment in the Federal Government will decline. Employment of those who repair electronic home entertainment equipment will decline as equipment becomes more reliable and easier to service. Telephone installer jobs are expected to decline sharply, and communication equipment mechanics are expected to grow slower than the average because of improvements in the telephone equipment reliability, ease of maintenance, and low equipment replacement cost.

The overall employment of broadcast technicians is expected to grow about as fast as the average through the year 2006. Growth in the number of new radio and television stations and an increase in the number of programming hours should require additional technicians. However, employment growth in radio and television broadcasting may be tempered somewhat because of laborsaving technical advances, such as computer-controlled programming and remote control of transmitters.