Find Trade Colleges
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers: Career Profile
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
The Daily Work of Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of telecommunications line installers and repairers include:
- Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment.
- Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories.
- Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment.
- Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
- Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
- Access specific areas to string lines, or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces.
- Clean or maintain tools or test equipment.
- String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches, and pull lines to proper tension.
What Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Need to Know
Top telecommunications line installers and repairers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aerial Installer
- Aerial Lineman
- Block Cableman
- Broadband Cable Installer
- Broadband Cable Specialist
- Broadband Technician
- Buried Wire Technician
- CCTV Technician (Closed-circuit Television Technician)
Job Outlook
There are about 188,099 telecommunications line installers and repairers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +0.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $47,380 |
| Hourly median | $22.78 |
| 10th percentile | $26,428 |
| 25th percentile | $36,904 |
| 75th percentile | $57,856 |
| 90th percentile | $68,331 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $105,900 |
| Massachusetts | $104,040 |
| Rhode Island | $103,050 |
| New Jersey | $101,270 |
| Alaska | $98,170 |
| District of Columbia | $95,930 |
| California | $92,350 |
| Maine | $91,400 |
| Maryland | $87,900 |
| Connecticut | $87,860 |
| West Virginia | $84,490 |
| New Hampshire | $84,470 |
| Delaware | $82,150 |
| North Dakota | $80,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,630 |
| Virginia | $80,090 |
| Washington | $79,990 |
| Hawaii | $78,020 |
| Illinois | $75,590 |
| Texas | $68,320 |
| Vermont | $67,370 |
| Kansas | $66,770 |
| Michigan | $65,460 |
| Oregon | $64,360 |
| Colorado | $62,820 |
| New Mexico | $62,210 |
| Alabama | $61,070 |
| Minnesota | $60,940 |
| Iowa | $60,650 |
| Kentucky | $60,180 |
| Wisconsin | $60,150 |
| Arizona | $60,100 |
| Tennessee | $59,420 |
| Missouri | $58,920 |
| Mississippi | $58,390 |
| Arkansas | $57,960 |
| Wyoming | $57,190 |
| Georgia | $57,030 |
| Indiana | $56,750 |
| South Dakota | $56,380 |
| South Carolina | $56,090 |
| Utah | $55,980 |
| Ohio | $55,430 |
| Nevada | $54,030 |
| North Carolina | $53,420 |
| Florida | $53,140 |
| Oklahoma | $52,360 |
| Montana | $51,110 |
| Idaho | $48,980 |
| Nebraska | $48,250 |
| Louisiana | $46,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,170 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for telecommunications line installers and repairers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $97,325 | 20.7% | 1.43 |
| New England | $96,195 | 5.4% | 1.25 |
| Far Western US | $86,915 | 14.5% | 0.92 |
| Southwest | $65,341 | 11.3% | 0.91 |
| Great Lakes | $62,933 | 10.3% | 0.79 |
| Southeast | $60,905 | 26.8% | 1.21 |
| Plains States | $60,354 | 6.2% | 1.03 |
| Rocky Mountains | $58,284 | 3.2% | 0.88 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $107,690 | 8,590 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $104,920 | 500 |
| Springfield, MA | MA | $103,920 | 140 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $103,680 | 1,780 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $103,560 | 1,210 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | NJ | $103,140 | 110 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | RI | $103,050 | 820 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $102,340 | 120 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of telecommunications line installers and repairers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 59,290 | $83,370 |
| Construction | 31,010 | $52,030 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,870 | $53,640 |
| Utilities | 1,350 | $82,420 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,230 | $49,390 |
| Manufacturing | 280 | $54,010 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 230 | $83,570 |
| Wholesale Trade | 170 | $59,030 |
Below are examples of industries where telecommunications line installers and repairers work:
Tools and Technology
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Slack (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of telecommunications line installers and repairers reflects the following characteristics:
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Contact With Others
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Telephone Conversations
Getting Started in This Career
Typical telecommunications line installers and repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (Supplemental)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Lighting Technicians (Supplemental)
- Electricians (Primary-Long)
- Pipelayers (Supplemental)
- Helpers–Electricians (Supplemental)
- Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers (Primary-Short)
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Future telecommunications line installers and repairers often complete programs in:
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 49-9052.00 (Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers).
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.