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Salary comparison

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers vs. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General: Who Earns More?

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers out-earn Maintenance and Repair Workers, General by $25K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers land at $74,330 and Maintenance and Repair Workers, General at $49,590. The education gap is real: telecommunications line installers and repairer programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while maintenance and repair workers, general programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers is Rhode Island ($103,810); for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General it's District of Columbia ($60,310).

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Median salary
$74,330
$49,590
Hourly rate
$35.73/hr
$23.84/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$45,310
$35,350
Senior level (90th %)
$103,680
$77,180
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
97,720
1,529,700
Job growth (10-year)
-3.1%
3.8%
Category
Repair & Maintenance
Repair & Maintenance
Top-paying state
Rhode Island
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers median pay.

State
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Massachusetts
$103,410
$58,320
New Jersey
$102,090
$54,810
New York
$100,960
$57,790
California
$97,980
$57,000
District of Columbia
$97,600
$60,310
Alaska
$97,450
$60,270
Connecticut
$97,140
$57,620
Hawaii
$79,880
$57,960
Washington
$76,070
$59,160
Minnesota
$73,710
$59,200
Illinois
$70,700
$56,720
Wisconsin
$63,560
$55,810
Ohio
$62,860
$53,420
Vermont
$61,970
$55,510
Oregon
$60,330
$54,350

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers or Maintenance and Repair Workers, General?

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers earn more nationally. The median is $74,330 for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers versus $49,590 for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General, a difference of $25K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers or Maintenance and Repair Workers, General?

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General has the better 10-year outlook at 3.8% projected growth, compared to -3.1% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers or Maintenance and Repair Workers, General?

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers get paid the most?

Rhode Island is the top-paying state for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers at $103,810/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers vs. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Massachusetts, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers earn $103,410 vs. $58,320 for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers salary breakdownView →Full Maintenance and Repair Workers, General salary breakdownView →Best cities for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General by take-home payExplore →How to become a telecommunications line installers and repairersGuide →How to become a maintenance and repair workers, generalGuide →