How to become a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer

Official title: Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Also called: Cable Splicer, Cable Tech (Cable Technician), Cable TV Tech (Cable Television Technician), Combination Technician (Combination Tech), Fiber Optic Splicer, Field Service Technician, I and R Technician (Installation and Repair Technician), Installer, Outside Plant Technician (Outside Plant Tech), Telecommunications Technician (Telecommunications Tech)

Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

Main tasks

• Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
• 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.

How to become one

Telecommunications technicians typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a certificate or associate's degree. These workers also receive on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Cable Television Installer.
• Apprenticeship: Line Installer-Repairer.
• Apprenticeship: Overhead Utility Installer Technician.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $74,330 a year The middle half earn $54,310 to $95,850.
• About 103,400 people work in this job now, and about 99,900 are projected by 2035. (-3.4%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
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• Home Appliance Repairers
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer?

Telecommunications technicians typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a certificate or associate's degree. These workers also receive on-the-job training.

How much does a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $74,330 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $54,310 to $95,850.

Is a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 103,400 to about 99,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer?

Usually not. Only 12% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Cable Television Installer.

Will AI change the work of a Telecommunications Line Installer or Repairer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.