What Does it Take to Be a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer?
Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer Example Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Life As a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer: What Do They Do?
- Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels.
- Access specific areas to string lines or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, or by climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces.
- Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
- Explain cable service to subscribers after installation and collect any installation fees that are due.
- Dig trenches for underground wires or cables.
- Fill and tamp holes, using cement, earth, and tamping devices.
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What a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer Should Know
When polled, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Related Job Titles
- Telephone Lineworker
- Lineman
- Submarine Cable Equipment Technician
- Climber
- Cable Tester
Is There Going to be Demand for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 106,100 jobs in the United States for Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.5% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,600 new jobs for Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer by 2026. The BLS estimates 10,700 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer are Nevada, Utah, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Vermont, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary
The typical yearly salary for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers is somewhere between $30,950 and $92,440.

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers who work in New Jersey, Massachusetts, or New York, make the highest salaries.
How much do Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $42,940 |
Alaska | $70,140 |
Arizona | $50,800 |
Arkansas | $56,520 |
California | $66,200 |
Colorado | $51,790 |
Connecticut | $68,460 |
Delaware | $73,920 |
District of Columbia | $74,360 |
Florida | $40,860 |
Georgia | $43,120 |
Hawaii | $66,430 |
Idaho | $46,410 |
Illinois | $57,400 |
Indiana | $42,450 |
Iowa | $52,460 |
Kansas | $60,160 |
Kentucky | $47,930 |
Louisiana | $40,200 |
Maine | $60,600 |
Maryland | $65,060 |
Massachusetts | $81,030 |
Michigan | $46,280 |
Minnesota | $45,420 |
Mississippi | $49,370 |
Missouri | $50,950 |
Montana | $53,970 |
Nebraska | $43,360 |
Nevada | $41,700 |
New Hampshire | $62,570 |
New Jersey | $84,130 |
New Mexico | $46,210 |
New York | $72,840 |
North Carolina | $44,740 |
North Dakota | $62,740 |
Ohio | $43,740 |
Oklahoma | $56,350 |
Oregon | $55,670 |
Pennsylvania | $69,530 |
Rhode Island | $60,040 |
South Carolina | $54,320 |
South Dakota | $49,710 |
Tennessee | $44,290 |
Texas | $52,220 |
Utah | $48,620 |
Vermont | $63,520 |
Virginia | $61,070 |
Washington | $64,440 |
West Virginia | $59,350 |
Wisconsin | $54,430 |
Wyoming | $55,100 |
What Tools & Technology do Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Cisco IOS
How do I Become a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer?
Learn what Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer education requirements there are.

What work experience do I need to become a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer?

Who Employs Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers?

The table below shows the approximate number of Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers employed by various industries.

Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer may also be interested in:
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Motorboat Operators
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Are you already one of the many Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Alexis P. Docherty, 49th Wing Public Affairs via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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