If you’re waiting for the telecommunications hiring market to “heat up” again, you might be looking for the wrong signal.

Because in 2026, the market is less “hot” and more focused.

As Steve Dybacz, Account Director and in-house telco expert at Talent Sydney, puts it:

“Two years ago there was a lot of vanity hiring. Now it’s about one question: can you actually deliver this programme without drama?”

This mindset shift is what’s defining telco hiring right now; more accountability and a much sharper lens on capability.

From hype to optimisation

12–24 months ago, 5G dominated the conversation. Today, the narrative has evolved.

“Fibre is still busy. 5G has moved from hype to optimisation,” Steve explains. “And we’re seeing far more spend on resilience and compliance than on flashy innovation.”

The build phase is far from over. Fibre rollout continues at pace as copper networks are decommissioned, while optimisation of existing infrastructure is now front and centre. Coverage, private networks and uptime are commercially critical — not just headline projects.

“Fibre and core network capability remain critical because the build is still happening — and copper is dying. That transition hasn’t slowed.”

At the same time, regulatory pressure, cyber risk and infrastructure funding cycles are shaping investment decisions.

“Resilience is no longer optional,” Steve says. “It’s a board-level issue.”

The skills that matter most this year

Hiring demand across telecommunications is clustering around a core set of high-impact capabilities:

• Network Engineering
• Fibre Optical Network Engineering
• RF Engineering
• Telecommunications Project Delivery
• Field Network Operations & Maintenance
• Network Operations (NOC)

RF engineering, in particular, is seeing renewed importance.

“RF matters more than the headlines suggest,” says Steve. “Coverage, optimisation and private networks are commercially important right now.”

And as budgets tighten, delivery risk is under scrutiny.

“Project people are in demand because budgets are tighter and failure is expensive. Organisations can’t afford programmes that drift.”

Meanwhile, operational roles are under relentless pressure.

“NOC and field capability doesn’t get the spotlight, but uptime is brutal and SLAs are unforgiving. That pressure isn’t going anywhere.”

This is not a speculative hiring cycle. It’s capability-led and operationally grounded.

The talent that’s hardest to find

While overall salary growth has stabilised, structural shortages remain in specific areas.

“The hardest profiles to secure are senior engineers who’ve actually designed the solution and then stood on site to deliver it,” Steve says. “That combination is rare.”

Candidates with the right clearances also remains particularly scarce.

“Cleared talent is a tiny pool — and everyone’s fishing in it.”

And there’s a noticeable thinning of the mid-market layer.

“Solid mid-level engineers who don’t need hand holding are surprisingly scarce. The market has thinned out in that middle layer.”

These gaps reflect a broader theme we explore in this year’s More than Money Salary Guide; skills and capability depth is becoming more important than job titles and headcount.

AI in telco: Evolution, not replacement

AI is increasingly present in telecommunications but not in the way headlines might suggest.

“It’s in optimisation, fault prediction and ticket triage,” Steve says. “It’s not replacing engineers but making average teams better and exposing weak ones.”

Organisations investing in AI are pairing it with strong engineering fundamentals and governance. It’s about augmentation, not substitution — a theme echoed in our broader Capability Gap insights.

“The organisations getting value from AI are the ones pairing it with strong engineering fundamentals, not using it as a shortcut.”

Leaner teams, sharper expectations

One of the clearest structural shifts in 2026 is how telco teams are being built.

“We’re seeing lean core teams, with specialists bolted on for programmes. Nobody’s carrying excess headcount.”

Permanent capability is focused on critical continuity and governance. Specialist contractors are brought in for defined programmes and complex delivery.

“Everyone’s wearing two hats now: technical delivery plus stakeholder management. Purely technical roles are becoming rarer.”

Stakeholder capability, commercial awareness and communication skills are now as important as deep technical expertise.

Salaries: Flat overall, premiums in pockets

Broadly speaking, remuneration has stabilised across much of the telco market, but premiums remain in specific segments.

“Salaries are broadly flat, but there are clear premiums for fibre design, RF optimisation, cleared roles and proven programme leads.”

In-demand specialists are still moving quickly when the right opportunity appears.

“Speed wins offers. The best engineers still move quickly when the right opportunity comes along.”

And employer behaviour is still critical to success.

“If you treat good engineers like commodities, you’ll lose them. The top performers know their value.”

The biggest hiring mistakes

Despite a more balanced market, some hiring behaviours haven’t caught up.

“Slow hiring processes are still the biggest obstacles,” Steve says.

And there’s also a tendency to over-specify.

“Unrealistic wish lists don’t help. If you’re looking for someone who can design, build, secure and commercially lead a programme, you’re narrowing the field dramatically.”

And high application volumes can be misleading.

“There’s still a tendency to assume supply equals suitability. High application volume doesn’t mean high capability.”

This mirrors what we’re seeing across sectors: volume is up, but genuine capability remains scarce.

The telco organisations who will succeed in 2026

Rather than aggressive expansion, telecommunications in 2026 is about resilience, optimisation and delivery.

Organisations that succeed will:

• Secure specialist capability early
• Structure teams intentionally
• Pair AI adoption with strong engineering fundamentals
• Move quickly when the right talent appears

The market may not feel “hot”, but it is demanding.

And in a sector where uptime is brutal and SLAs are unforgiving, focused hiring may prove more powerful than hype ever was.

To benchmark telco salaries, contract rates and in-demand skills across Australia and New Zealand, explore our More than Money Salary Guide 2026, including our latest Key Trends shaping capability investment in 2026.