What the occupation covers
Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers’ property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings. Excludes “Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers” (49-9052).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 49-2022.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $44,240 | $3,687 | $851 | $21.27 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $51,830 | $4,319 | $997 | $24.92 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $63,890 | $5,324 | $1,229 | $30.72 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $81,690 | $6,808 | $1,571 | $39.27 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $96,730 | $8,061 | $1,860 | $46.51 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers is $63,890, which is 25% higher. Among the 51 occupations of the field Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, it ranks number 19 by median pay. With 140,920 jobs, it makes up about 9.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($95,850), North Dakota ($90,890) and New Hampshire ($85,240). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($33,760), Guam ($36,600) and Arkansas ($49,740). The most jobs were in California (14,040), Texas (13,440) and Florida (11,820). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 3.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 520 | $95,850 | $84,980 | $46.08 |
| North Dakota | 470 | $90,890 | $82,790 | $43.70 |
| New Hampshire | 550 | $85,240 | $83,040 | $40.98 |
| Vermont | 310 | $81,800 | $75,800 | $39.33 |
| Louisiana | 3,060 | $80,210 | $74,620 | $38.56 |
| Hawaii | 760 | $79,250 | $76,040 | $38.10 |
| New Jersey | 2,690 | $78,000 | $80,230 | $37.50 |
| Washington | 3,210 | $77,610 | $76,930 | $37.31 |
| California | 14,040 | $76,630 | $81,340 | $36.84 |
| Massachusetts | 2,890 | $76,500 | $74,350 | $36.78 |
| Colorado | 3,180 | $76,410 | $72,840 | $36.74 |
| Oregon | 1,710 | $75,270 | $74,960 | $36.19 |
| Connecticut | 1,910 | $75,200 | $72,910 | $36.15 |
| Minnesota | 1,900 | $75,150 | $71,020 | $36.13 |
| Montana | 630 | $73,970 | $71,880 | $35.56 |
| District of Columbia | 300 | $73,130 | $80,600 | $35.16 |
| Arizona | 3,320 | $72,710 | $66,570 | $34.96 |
| New York | 6,240 | $67,710 | $72,850 | $32.55 |
| Rhode Island | 150 | $66,960 | $74,100 | $32.19 |
| Delaware | 440 | $66,670 | $68,730 | $32.05 |
| Iowa | 1,780 | $65,710 | $66,270 | $31.59 |
| Utah | 2,160 | $65,650 | $68,010 | $31.56 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,220 | $64,960 | $68,520 | $31.23 |
| Georgia | 6,640 | $64,900 | $70,330 | $31.20 |
| Illinois | 5,760 | $64,630 | $67,380 | $31.07 |
| North Carolina | 3,540 | $63,970 | $67,920 | $30.75 |
| New Mexico | 1,100 | $63,600 | $65,740 | $30.58 |
| West Virginia | 820 | $63,560 | $66,950 | $30.56 |
| Maryland | 2,520 | $63,050 | $68,800 | $30.31 |
| Nevada | 890 | $62,800 | $64,040 | $30.19 |
| Idaho | 1,080 | $62,440 | $64,950 | $30.02 |
| South Dakota | 520 | $62,000 | $64,950 | $29.81 |
| Maine | 400 | $61,720 | $64,720 | $29.67 |
| Michigan | 3,940 | $61,700 | $64,150 | $29.66 |
| Ohio | 3,560 | $61,680 | $66,980 | $29.65 |
| South Carolina | 2,130 | $61,480 | $65,900 | $29.56 |
| Virginia | 3,310 | $61,340 | $64,360 | $29.49 |
| Mississippi | 1,500 | $61,250 | $64,960 | $29.45 |
| Tennessee | 2,480 | $61,220 | $65,620 | $29.43 |
| Florida | 11,820 | $61,030 | $63,020 | $29.34 |
| Indiana | 2,050 | $61,030 | $61,250 | $29.34 |
| Wisconsin | 2,120 | $60,770 | $63,780 | $29.22 |
| Nebraska | 1,430 | $60,520 | $61,420 | $29.10 |
| Wyoming | 310 | $60,250 | $63,390 | $28.96 |
| Alabama | 3,200 | $59,770 | $63,900 | $28.74 |
| Kentucky | 2,210 | $59,700 | $61,880 | $28.70 |
| Texas | 13,440 | $59,370 | $61,330 | $28.54 |
| Kansas | 1,480 | $58,690 | $59,760 | $28.22 |
| Missouri | 2,260 | $57,610 | $59,910 | $27.70 |
| Virgin Islands | 60 | $55,960 | $53,660 | $26.90 |
| Oklahoma | 1,660 | $50,350 | $55,890 | $24.21 |
| Arkansas | 1,320 | $49,740 | $52,720 | $23.91 |
| Guam | 190 | $36,600 | $50,010 | $17.60 |
| Puerto Rico | 480 | $33,760 | $35,810 | $16.23 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$65,510 a year
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics$64,520 a year
- Wind Turbine Service Technicians$64,120 a year
- Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers$63,520 a year
- Riggers$62,640 a year
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770 a year
Common questions
How much do Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $63,890 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,240 and the highest-paid 10% more than $96,730.
How many people work as Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers?
About 140,920 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.