Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Career, Salary and Skills
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $74,330 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 97,720. Wage data is published for 289 locations.
Occupation description
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
O*NET code
49-9052.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$74,330
Hourly median
$35.73
Employment
97,720
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$45,310
10th
$54,310
25th
$74,330
Median
$95,850
75th
$103,680
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Installation | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
Technology
- Microsoft Word
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Cisco IOS
- Email software
- Mapcom systems M4
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Ping tools
- Slack
- Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
- Web browser software
- Workforce management system software
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in TXMedian $75,740 · Employment 9,700
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in CAMedian $97,980 · Employment 8,810
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in NYMedian $100,960 · Employment 8,530
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in New York, NYMedian $102,550 · Employment 7,340
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in FLMedian $61,740 · Employment 5,760
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in VAMedian $79,090 · Employment 4,120
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in OHMedian $62,860 · Employment 3,920
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in PAMedian $81,020 · Employment 3,890
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in GAMedian $58,760 · Employment 3,530
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $78,580 · Employment 3,030
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in Washington, DCMedian $95,560 · Employment 2,860
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $96,780 · Employment 2,780
Related careers
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansNational median $78,190
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment AssemblersNational median not published
- PipelayersNational median $49,000
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related RepairersNational median $56,210
- Hoist and Winch OperatorsNational median $56,450
- Telecommunications Engineering SpecialistsNational median $134,050
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and RelayNational median $103,020
- Helpers--ElectriciansNational median $42,670
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.