Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers Salary
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers earn $66,000 at the median, or about $31.73 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.06), which stretches that salary to about $75,810 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,051/month, or 24.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $66K get you in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterloo-Cedar Falls’s Regional Price Parity (87.06). 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,051/month, 24.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.06 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, 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, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
Entry-level telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $50K 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Yes — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 24.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,051/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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,129/month. At HUD’s $1,051/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Waterloo-Cedar Falls compare to the national average for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers make in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median is $66,000 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,490, and experienced telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers can clear $85,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,290/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,051/month, which eats 24.5% 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls?
Waterloo-Cedar Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 87.06 (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 $75,810 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.