Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers: Career Profile
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
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The Daily Work of Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Perform?
Typical responsibilities of telecommunications line installers and repairers span:
- 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 draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Aerial Installer
- Aerial Lineman
- Block Cableman
- Broadband Cable Installer
- Broadband Cable Specialist
- Broadband Technician
- Buried Wire Technician
- CCTV Technician (Closed-circuit Television Technician)
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 188,099 telecommunications line installers and repairers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
| 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 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Make in Different U.S. States?
| 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 |
Where Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Earn the Most
Earnings for telecommunications line installers and repairers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| 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 |
Top Metro Areas
| 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 |
Which Industries Hire Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
The largest employers of telecommunications line installers and repairers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| 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 |
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers work in the following industries:
Software Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Use
- 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 is shaped by 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
How to Become Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Typical telecommunications line installers and repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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
Students preparing for telecommunications line installers and repairers typically earn 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).
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