Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers Salary
In Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers earn $66,430 at the median, or about $31.94 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $68,084 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 38.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 Durham-Chapel Hill
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $73K | $75K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $62K | $63K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $61K | $65K |
| Asheville | $61K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $44K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,069/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $66,430 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,150, and experienced telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers can clear $95,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,344/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 39.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $68,084 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.