SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 49-9052.
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 | $45,310 | $3,776 | $871 | $21.79 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $54,310 | $4,526 | $1,044 | $26.11 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $74,330 | $6,194 | $1,429 | $35.73 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $95,850 | $7,988 | $1,843 | $46.08 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $103,680 | $8,640 | $1,994 | $49.85 |
* 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 Line Installers and Repairers is $74,330, which is 46% higher. Among the 51 occupations of the field Installation, Maintenance, and Repair, it ranks number 9 by median pay. With 97,720 jobs, it makes up about 6.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Rhode Island ($103,810), Massachusetts ($103,410) and New Jersey ($102,090). The lowest was in Guam ($30,770), Puerto Rico ($31,770) and Louisiana ($48,770). The most jobs were in Texas (9,700), California (8,810) and New York (8,530). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 2.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 490 | $103,810 | $97,780 | $49.91 |
| Massachusetts | 2,230 | $103,410 | $91,700 | $49.72 |
| New Jersey | 2,540 | $102,090 | $95,220 | $49.08 |
| New York | 8,530 | $100,960 | $89,320 | $48.54 |
| California | 8,810 | $97,980 | $91,490 | $47.11 |
| District of Columbia | 500 | $97,600 | $87,950 | $46.92 |
| Alaska | 390 | $97,450 | $87,330 | $46.85 |
| Connecticut | 500 | $97,140 | $93,760 | $46.70 |
| Delaware | 310 | $93,850 | $79,780 | $45.12 |
| Maine | 680 | $92,120 | $86,940 | $44.29 |
| West Virginia | 1,270 | $89,690 | $81,750 | $43.12 |
| New Hampshire | 540 | $86,370 | $82,520 | $41.53 |
| Maryland | 2,400 | $82,380 | $80,050 | $39.60 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,890 | $81,020 | $77,730 | $38.95 |
| Hawaii | 680 | $79,880 | $84,650 | $38.40 |
| Virginia | 4,120 | $79,090 | $75,990 | $38.03 |
| Washington | 1,510 | $76,070 | $75,420 | $36.57 |
| Texas | 9,700 | $75,740 | $75,270 | $36.42 |
| Montana | 530 | $75,720 | $69,920 | $36.41 |
| Michigan | 2,780 | $74,360 | $69,350 | $35.75 |
| Minnesota | 1,130 | $73,710 | $71,920 | $35.44 |
| Nevada | 730 | $72,230 | $70,480 | $34.73 |
| Illinois | 2,460 | $70,700 | $70,890 | $33.99 |
| Colorado | 1,630 | $66,020 | $69,290 | $31.74 |
| Kentucky | 1,870 | $64,010 | $65,330 | $30.77 |
| Wyoming | 160 | $63,660 | $62,750 | $30.61 |
| Kansas | 530 | $63,560 | $67,620 | $30.56 |
| Wisconsin | 950 | $63,560 | $65,970 | $30.56 |
| Tennessee | 2,620 | $63,510 | $63,580 | $30.53 |
| Ohio | 3,920 | $62,860 | $66,310 | $30.22 |
| Vermont | 310 | $61,970 | $64,840 | $29.79 |
| Florida | 5,760 | $61,740 | $61,600 | $29.68 |
| Alabama | 1,530 | $60,890 | $63,910 | $29.27 |
| Iowa | 820 | $60,890 | $63,270 | $29.27 |
| Arkansas | 1,690 | $60,840 | $65,460 | $29.25 |
| Oregon | 920 | $60,330 | $62,930 | $29.00 |
| Utah | 800 | $60,090 | $59,500 | $28.89 |
| South Carolina | 1,310 | $59,790 | $60,820 | $28.75 |
| North Dakota | 300 | $59,280 | $67,770 | $28.50 |
| Missouri | 2,710 | $59,080 | $63,530 | $28.41 |
| Indiana | 1,580 | $58,920 | $60,040 | $28.33 |
| Georgia | 3,530 | $58,760 | $61,430 | $28.25 |
| Arizona | 790 | $58,600 | $59,510 | $28.17 |
| New Mexico | 350 | $58,130 | $59,840 | $27.95 |
| North Carolina | 2,610 | $56,680 | $59,560 | $27.25 |
| Idaho | 300 | $56,340 | $57,290 | $27.09 |
| Nebraska | 390 | $50,070 | $57,950 | $24.07 |
| South Dakota | 590 | $49,560 | $53,090 | $23.83 |
| Mississippi | 700 | $49,360 | $54,100 | $23.73 |
| Oklahoma | 1,410 | $48,900 | $58,180 | $23.51 |
| Louisiana | 960 | $48,770 | $56,420 | $23.45 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,010 | $31,770 | $34,020 | $15.28 |
| Guam | 50 | $30,770 | $39,400 | $14.79 |
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
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians$79,870 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers$79,860 a year
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door$74,340 a year
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090 a year
- Commercial Divers$72,990 a year
- Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other$68,990 a year
Common questions
How much do Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $74,330 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $45,310 and the highest-paid 10% more than $103,680.
How many people work as Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers?
About 97,720 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.