Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers Salary
In Ames, IA, telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers earn $65,470 at the median, or about $31.48 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $73,703 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 26.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $65K get you in Ames?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ames’s Regional Price Parity (88.83). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
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What this looks like in Ames
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers pay in Ames tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,153/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $67K | $73K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $60K | $68K |
| Cedar Rapids | $73K | $82K |
| Sioux City | $65K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ames, IA
Entry-level telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $96K | +50% | 520 |
| North Dakota | $91K | +42% | 470 |
| New Hampshire | $85K | +33% | 550 |
| Vermont | $82K | +28% | 310 |
| Louisiana | $80K | +26% | 3,060 |
| Hawaii | $79K | +24% | 760 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +22% | 2,690 |
| Washington | $78K | +21% | 3,210 |
| California | $77K | +20% | 14,040 |
| Massachusetts | $77K | +20% | 2,890 |
| Colorado | $76K | +20% | 3,180 |
| Oregon | $75K | +18% | 1,710 |
| Connecticut | $75K | +18% | 1,910 |
| Minnesota | $75K | +18% | 1,900 |
| Montana | $74K | +16% | 630 |
| District of Columbia | $73K | +14% | 300 |
| Arizona | $73K | +14% | 3,320 |
| New York | $68K | +6% | 6,240 |
| Rhode Island | $67K | +5% | 150 |
| Delaware | $67K | +4% | 440 |
| Iowa | $66K | +3% | 1,780 |
| Utah | $66K | +3% | 2,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | +2% | 5,220 |
| Georgia | $65K | +2% | 6,640 |
| Illinois | $65K | +1% | 5,760 |
| North Carolina | $64K | +0% | 3,540 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -0% | 1,100 |
| West Virginia | $64K | -1% | 820 |
| Maryland | $63K | -1% | 2,520 |
| Nevada | $63K | -2% | 890 |
| Idaho | $62K | -2% | 1,080 |
| South Dakota | $62K | -3% | 520 |
| Maine | $62K | -3% | 400 |
| Michigan | $62K | -3% | 3,940 |
| Ohio | $62K | -3% | 3,560 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -4% | 2,130 |
| Virginia | $61K | -4% | 3,310 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -4% | 1,500 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -4% | 2,480 |
| Indiana | $61K | -4% | 2,050 |
| Florida | $61K | -4% | 11,820 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | -5% | 2,120 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -5% | 1,430 |
| Wyoming | $60K | -6% | 310 |
| Alabama | $60K | -6% | 3,200 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -7% | 2,210 |
| Texas | $59K | -7% | 13,440 |
| Kansas | $59K | -8% | 1,480 |
| Missouri | $58K | -10% | 2,260 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -21% | 1,660 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -22% | 1,320 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers salary changes
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Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 27.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,804/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 41% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installer a high-paying job in Ames?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Ames compare to the national average for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Ames pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers make in Ames, IA?
The median is $65,470 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,740, and experienced telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers can clear $82,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,262/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 27.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers salary go in Ames?
Ames has a Regional Price Parity of 88.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers salary is worth about $73,703 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.