Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers

Summary

Home entertainment equipment installers set up and fix household audio and video equipment.

Quick Facts: Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers
2010 Median Pay	$32,940 per year $15.84 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Postsecondary non-degree award
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	36,800
Job Outlook, 2010-20	14% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	5,100

What Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers Do

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers set up and fix household audio and video equipment, such as televisions, stereo components, and home theater systems.

Work Environment

Although most home entertainment equipment installers and repairers work in electronics repair shops, many spend significant time traveling to customers’ homes. They generally work full time, and many work evenings or weekends, including overtime.

How to Become a Home Entertainment Equipment Installer or Repairer

Although employers prefer to hire applicants who have completed postsecondary training courses, many home entertainment equipment installers and repairers train informally on the job. Industry certification is becoming increasingly important.

Pay

The median annual wage of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers was $32,940 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers is expected to grow 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations. Certified applicants with good customer service skills and a background in electronics repair should have the best job opportunities.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about home entertainment equipment installers and repairers by contacting these additional resources.

What Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers Do About this section

A technician begins connecting electrical wires.

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers set up and fix household audio and video equipment, such as televisions, stereo components, and home theater systems.

Duties

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers typically do the following:

• Install electronic equipment and devices, such as televisions and speaker systems
• Inspect malfunctioning equipment and devices
• Read and interpret electronic circuit diagrams, specifications, and service manuals
• Take apart equipment and repair or replace loose, worn, or defective parts and wiring
• Calibrate, tune, or adjust equipment and instruments to specified performance levels
• Test equipment and parts after installing or repairing them
• Make service calls to customers’ homes or bring equipment or parts to shops for major repairs
• Teach customers the safe and proper use of audio and video equipment

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers, also called service technicians install, troubleshoot, and fine-tune sound and picture quality, ensuring that a client’s home entertainment system works at its peak capability.

They work on many types of equipment, including customer’s televisions, stereos, satellite dishes, and surround-sound systems. They may specialize in one or many kinds of products.

When working on small portable equipment, such as DVD players and video cameras, technicians generally work in central repair shops. When repairing less mobile equipment, such as big-screen televisions, however, they must travel to the customer’s location. If the job is overly complex, technicians may take the equipment back to the shop for further work.

Service technicians’ work involves many different tools. For example, they may use basic handtools, such as screwdrivers, hammers, and wrenches, to disassemble and reassemble components.

They may also use more sophisticated diagnostic tools, including multimeters, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, and digital storage scopes, to identify electronic malfunctions, such as short circuits and failed capacitors. Because of the growing complexity of home entertainment systems, service technicians frequently consult schematics and manufacturers' specifications for instructions on how to repair certain problems.

Most service technicians keep records of bills, payments, parts used, and hours worked. Technicians also show customers how to use new equipment or explain the repairs they made.

Work Environment About this section

A technician repairs a television set.

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers held about 36,800 jobs in 2010. Nearly half of these service technicians worked for electronics sales stores and repair shops. About 17 percent were self-employed.

In 2010, the industries employing the largest numbers of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers were as follows:

Although most service technicians work in electronics repair shops, many spend significant time traveling to customers’ homes. Some may be required to work in awkward positions and carry heavy equipment.

Injuries

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers have a rate of injuries and illnesses that is higher than the national average. Home entertainment equipment often carries high voltage, even when turned off. To avoid burns and electric shock, service technicians must disconnect the power before working on this equipment. When service technicians take basic safety precautions, their work is safe.

Work Schedules

Most service technicians work full time, and many work evenings or weekends, including overtime.

How to Become a Home Entertainment Equipment Installer or Repairer About this section

A technician organizes electrical wiring.

Although employers prefer to hire applicants who have completed postsecondary training courses, many service technicians train informally on the job. Industry certification is becoming increasingly important.

Education and Training

Many service technicians become qualified through informal on-the-job training, working closely with experienced technicians. Trainees receive from a few weeks to a few months of guidance and often learn the basics of electronics diagnostics and repair before beginning to work independently.

Although informal on-the-job training remains common, employers generally prefer to hire workers who have attended postsecondary vocational, technical, or associate’s degree programs in electronics repair. These programs, which include hands-on and theoretical training in digital consumer electronics, often help reduce the amount of training new workers need.

Service technicians must stay familiar with rapidly changing technologies. Employers frequently require technicians to attend training sessions and read manuals and reports on new products to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

Certification

Employers increasingly expect service technicians to be certified because certification shows competence. Technicians who gain employment through on-the-job training are often later required by their employer to become certified.

Various organizations offer certification in several different specializations and technologies. The Electronics Technicians Association International, for example, offers specialty credentials, including the Residential Electronics Systems Integrator certification. Also, the International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians offers certification in multimedia and electronic systems. To become certified, service technicians must meet several prerequisites and pass a comprehensive exam.

Important Qualities

Customer-service skills. Because many service technicians work in customers’ homes, they must be friendly and polite. Also, they must often clearly explain how to operate home entertainment equipment to people with little or no technical knowledge.

Dexterity. Many service tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching parts, and using handtools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination.

Recordkeeping skills. Service technicians must keep accurate records of the number of hours worked, parts used, and bills collected. This is especially important for self-employed service technicians.

Technical skills. Service technicians often use sophisticated diagnostic equipment when working on complex electronic equipment. They must, therefore, be familiar with the components’ internal parts and be able to choose the appropriate tools.

Troubleshooting skills. As home entertainment equipment becomes more intricate, malfunctions become more difficult to identify. As a result, service technicians must be able to find and solve problems that are not immediately apparent.

In addition to the above qualities, service technicians must have excellent vision and a keen sense of sound to fine-tune the products they install or repair.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers was $32,940 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,650, and the top 10 percent earned more than $53,500.

In May 2010, median annual wages in industries employing the largest numbers of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers were as follows:

Most service technicians work full time, and many work evenings or weekends, including overtime.

Earnings vary by skill level, specialization, and the type of equipment being worked on. Some service technicians earn a commission in addition to their salary, making more money as they complete more jobs each day.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of home entertainment equipment installers and repairers is expected to grow 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations.

Consumer demand for sophisticated home entertainment products, such as high-definition televisions, surround-sound systems, and other high-end home theater equipment, will increase demand for workers to install and service these systems. Home entertainment systems continue to grow in popularity, and consumers’ desire for state-of-the-art sound and picture quality will further increase demand for workers.

The need for repairers, however, should be somewhat limited because technological advances have lowered prices and increased the durability of home entertainment equipment, including televisions and DVD players. When a malfunction occurs, consumers often find that replacing equipment is cheaper than repairing it, reducing the need for repairers.

Job Prospects

Certified applicants with good customer-service skills and a background in electronics repair should have the best job opportunities. Noncertified applicants will likely face competition for jobs.

The majority of job openings will come from the need to replace workers who retire or leave the occupation. It is also likely that a majority of job openings will occur in electronics and appliance stores and repair shops, because these types of stores employ about one-third of all service technicians.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For information on home entertainment equipment installer and repairer careers and certification, visit

Electronics Technicians Association International

International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians