Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
National median · BLS
$74,330
▲ +5.43%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$73,940
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
97,720
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$45,310
25th
$54,310
Median (50th)
$74,330
75th
$95,850
90th — top pay
$103,680
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
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Weekly—
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Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
BLS projects employment of telecommunications line installers and repairers to decline 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 8,000 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
103,400 → 99,900
-3,500 jobs
Projected change
-3.4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
8,000
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
4.9% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Critical Thinking3.1
Monitoring3.1
Quality Control Analysis3.1
Speaking3.1
Active Listening3.0
Coordination3.0
Equipment Maintenance3.0
Installation3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.0
Operation and Control3.0
Top knowledge areas
Telecommunications4.4
Customer and Personal Service4.2
Engineering and Technology4.0
Computers and Electronics3.9
Public Safety and Security3.9
Building and Construction3.7
Production and Processing3.5
English Language3.4
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordSlackCisco IOSEmail softwareMapcom systems M4Ping toolsVoice over internet protocol VoIP system softwareWeb browser softwareWorkforce management system software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What telecommunications line installers and repairers do
Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
Clean or maintain tools or test equipment.
Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, such as digital subscriber line modems.
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.
Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches.
Pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches.
Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks.
Also called
Cable SplicerCombination Technician (Combination Tech)I and R Technician (Installation and Repair Technician)InstallerCable Tech (Cable Technician)Cable TV Tech (Cable Television Technician)Fiber Optic SplicerField Service TechnicianOutside Plant Technician (Outside Plant Tech)Telecommunications Technician (Telecommunications Tech)
More job titles for this occupation (34)
Broadband Cable InstallerCable InstallerCable RepairerCable Systems InstallerCable TV Installer (Cable Television Installer)Cable WirerCCTV Technician (Closed-circuit Television Technician)Coax SplicerConduit InstallerFiber Optic TechnicianFiber SplicerFIOS Line Installer (Fiber Optic Service Line Installer)Installation Technician (Installation Tech)Installer Technician (Installer Tech)Line InstallerLine RepairerLine Service Technician (Line Service Tech)Low Voltage InstallerNetwork Cable InstallerNetwork Cable Technician (Network Cable Tech)Network CablerOverhead Utility Installer Technician (Overhead Utility Installer Tech)Power Line InstallerPower Line RepairerSplicerSplicing Technician (Splicing Tech)Structured Cabling Technician (Structured Cabling Tech)Telecommunication Lines RepairerTelecommunications InstallerTelecommunications Line InstallerTelephone Cable SplicerTelephone Line RepairerTelephone LinemanToll Line Mechanic
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $74,330.
