How much does a cable line installer make?
a year · about $36 an hour
A typical cable line installer in the United States makes $74,330 a year, about $36 an hour, about 1.5× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They travel to customer sites and poles, then climb from a bucket truck or work in trenches to string, splice, and test phone, cable, or fiber lines. Using test gear, they find faults and reconnect service.
Did you know? Telecom cables usually carry low voltage, but line installers often work near high-voltage power lines.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $45,310 and $103,680How do you become one?
In the U.S., finish high school or a GED, then apply for an entry-level job or apprenticeship; many programs require you to be 18. Apprentices learn in class and on the job; heavy-truck drivers need a commercial license.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experienced workers and people with useful fiber-optic skills or extra certificates may earn more. Pay also changes by employer and location; night, weekend, or emergency work can mean longer hours or extra shift pay.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Massachusetts ($103,410), lowest in Louisiana ($48,770).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $45,310 | $74,330 | $103,680 | about 98,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $103,410 | about 2,000 |
| New Jersey | $102,090 | about 3,000 |
| New York | $100,960 | about 9,000 |
| California | $97,980 | about 9,000 |
| District of Columbia | $97,600 | about 500 |
Official definition: Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- blsmon1.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/print/line-installers-an
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/49-9052.00
- www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2018/article/workplace-hazards-facing-line-installers-and-r
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes499052.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY