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Skilled Trades

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

Median salary (BLS)

$74,330

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$45k – $104k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

    Entry / Junior

    $45,310

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

    Established

    $74,330

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

    Senior

    $89,005

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment.
  • •Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories.
  • •Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment.
  • •Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
  • •Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.