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Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Other titles employers use
Cable Splicer · Cable Technician · Cable Television Technician (Cable TV Tech) · Combination Technician · Field Service Technician · Installation and Repair Technician (I and R Technician) · Installer · Lineman
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operations Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Telecommunications
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.5 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 3.9 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.4 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 4.6 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 73%
- A certificate or some college 26%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Electronic mail software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Word processing software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Operating system software
- Facilities management software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 16,960
- Job openings each year
- 1,630
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 15.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 16,960 | 1,630 | 15.9% |
| California | 12,300 | 1,150 | 11.8% |
| Florida | 9,320 | 900 | 16.6% |
| New York | 8,210 | 0 | −2.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,340 | 490 | 6.2% |
| Virginia | 3,960 | 360 | 2.9% |
| North Carolina | 3,860 | 370 | 17.0% |
| Ohio | 3,830 | 360 | 11.0% |
| Illinois | 2,850 | 250 | — |
| Maryland | 2,730 | 240 | 1.9% |
| Michigan | 2,170 | 200 | 5.9% |
| Missouri | 2,170 | 190 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 2,140 | 200 | 9.7% |
| Alabama | 2,080 | 200 | 12.4% |
| New Jersey | 2,060 | 160 | −16.9% |
| Indiana | 1,980 | 180 | 2.6% |
| Tennessee | 1,940 | 180 | 12.8% |
| Nevada | 1,790 | 170 | 14.7% |
| Arizona | 1,720 | 160 | 8.9% |
| Oklahoma | 1,690 | 160 | 9.0% |
| South Carolina | 1,690 | 150 | 3.7% |
| Minnesota | 1,670 | 150 | 7.7% |
| Wisconsin | 1,650 | 150 | 7.1% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,630 | 150 | 10.1% |
| Colorado | 1,510 | 140 | 12.7% |
| Washington | 1,390 | 120 | −1.4% |
| Arkansas | 1,380 | 130 | 3.8% |
| Kentucky | 1,250 | 120 | 9.6% |
| Massachusetts | 1,230 | 110 | 4.2% |
| Iowa | 1,210 | 110 | 9.0% |
| West Virginia | 990 | 90 | 4.2% |
| Mississippi | 980 | 100 | 19.5% |
| Oregon | 970 | 90 | 6.6% |
| Louisiana | 890 | 80 | 9.9% |
| Connecticut | 850 | 80 | — |
| Utah | 840 | 80 | 21.7% |
| Maine | 800 | 70 | 5.3% |
| Rhode Island | 700 | 60 | −1.4% |
| Nebraska | 630 | 60 | 12.5% |
| New Hampshire | 590 | 50 | 11.3% |
| Idaho | 530 | 50 | 17.8% |
| New Mexico | 450 | 40 | 18.4% |
| District of Columbia | 440 | 40 | 4.8% |
| Montana | 410 | 40 | 10.8% |
| Kansas | 390 | 40 | 2.6% |
| Wyoming | 350 | 30 | 9.4% |
| South Dakota | 310 | 30 | 10.7% |
| North Dakota | 250 | 20 | 13.6% |
| Alaska | 240 | 20 | −4.0% |
| Vermont | 200 | 20 | — |
| Guam | 80 | 10 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.