Back to the Trades

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Wages
In 2021, the average annual wage in Alabama was $55,180 with most people making between $37,140 and $91,140.
Wages by Industry
  • Wired Telecommunications Carriers $54,200.00
  • Building Equipment Contractors $42,550.00
  • Utility System Construction $39,590.00
  • Cable and Other Subscription Programming $45,970.00
  • Computer Systems Design and Related Services $51,800.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Communications Systems Installation and Repair Technology
About the job

Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

What you'll do
    • Clean or maintain tools or test equipment.
    • Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels.
    • Dig holes for power poles, using power augers or shovels, set poles in place with cranes, and hoist poles upright, using winches.
    • Dig trenches for underground wires or cables.
    • Explain cable service to subscribers after installation and collect any installation fees that are due.
    • Fill and tamp holes, using cement, earth, and tamping devices.
    • Lay underground cable directly in trenches or string it through conduits running through trenches.
    • Participate in the construction or removal of telecommunication towers or associated support structures.
    • Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks; then pull lines through ducts by hand or with winches.
    • Use a variety of construction equipment to complete installations, such as digger derricks, trenchers, or cable plows.
Things you need to know
    • Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
    • Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
    • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
    • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
    • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
    • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
    • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.