Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Median salary

$74,330

Average salary

$73,940

Employment

97,720

Projected growth

3.1% decline

Annual openings

8,900

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Do

Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 1.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Telecommunicationsimportance 4.5/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
English Languageimportance 3.7/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.4/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.3/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.2/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.8/5
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.8/5
Contact With Others4.8/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
Telephone Conversations4.7/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door94% skill match
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment94% skill match
Motorcycle Mechanics93% skill match
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic93% skill match
Automotive Body and Related Repairers93% skill match
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians93% skill match
Print Binding and Finishing Workers93% skill match
Highway Maintenance Workers93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.0/5
Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.0/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Cisco IOS
Email software
Mapcom systems M4
Ping tools
Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
Web browser software
Workforce management system software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Stress Tolerance
Adaptability
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where telecommunications line installers and repairers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).