Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary
In Portland-South Portland, ME, telecommunications line installers and repairers earn $95,250 at the median, or about $45.79 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.86), that's roughly $93,511 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,130/month, about 35.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $95K actually covers in Portland-South Portland, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-South Portland’s Regional Price Parity (101.86). 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 line installers and repairers
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What this looks like in Portland-South Portland
Portland-South Portland sits well above the national pay line for telecommunications line installers and repairers, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,130/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telecommunications line installers and repairers in metros near Portland-South Portland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lewiston-Auburn | $91K | $96K |
| Bangor | $81K | $84K |
| Manchester-Nashua | $86K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-South Portland, ME
Entry-level telecommunications line installers and repairers (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $95K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $104K | +40% | 490 |
| Massachusetts | $103K | +39% | 2,230 |
| New Jersey | $102K | +37% | 2,540 |
| New York | $101K | +36% | 8,530 |
| California | $98K | +32% | 8,810 |
| District of Columbia | $98K | +31% | 500 |
| Alaska | $97K | +31% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $97K | +31% | 500 |
| Delaware | $94K | +26% | 310 |
| Maine | $92K | +24% | 680 |
| West Virginia | $90K | +21% | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $86K | +16% | 540 |
| Maryland | $82K | +11% | 2,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | +9% | 3,890 |
| Hawaii | $80K | +7% | 680 |
| Virginia | $79K | +6% | 4,120 |
| Washington | $76K | +2% | 1,510 |
| Texas | $76K | +2% | 9,700 |
| Montana | $76K | +2% | 530 |
| Michigan | $74K | +0% | 2,780 |
| Minnesota | $74K | -1% | 1,130 |
| Nevada | $72K | -3% | 730 |
| Illinois | $71K | -5% | 2,460 |
| Colorado | $66K | -11% | 1,630 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -14% | 1,870 |
| Wyoming | $64K | -14% | 160 |
| Kansas | $64K | -14% | 530 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -14% | 950 |
| Tennessee | $64K | -15% | 2,620 |
| Ohio | $63K | -15% | 3,920 |
| Vermont | $62K | -17% | 310 |
| Florida | $62K | -17% | 5,760 |
| Alabama | $61K | -18% | 1,530 |
| Iowa | $61K | -18% | 820 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -18% | 1,690 |
| Oregon | $60K | -19% | 920 |
| Utah | $60K | -19% | 800 |
| South Carolina | $60K | -20% | 1,310 |
| North Dakota | $59K | -20% | 300 |
| Missouri | $59K | -21% | 2,710 |
| Indiana | $59K | -21% | 1,580 |
| Georgia | $59K | -21% | 3,530 |
| Arizona | $59K | -21% | 790 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -22% | 350 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -24% | 2,610 |
| Idaho | $56K | -24% | 300 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -33% | 390 |
| South Dakota | $50K | -33% | 590 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -34% | 700 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -34% | 1,410 |
| Louisiana | $49K | -34% | 960 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a telecommunications line installers and repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-South Portland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $95K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,130/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for telecommunications line installers and repairers in Portland-South Portland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications line installers and repairers typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,351/month. At HUD’s $2,130/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 line installers and repairer a high-paying job in Portland-South Portland?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $95K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Portland-South Portland compare to the national average for telecommunications line installers and repairers?
Portland-South Portland pays $95K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telecommunications line installers and repairers make in Portland-South Portland, ME?
The median is $95,250 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,000, and experienced telecommunications line installers and repairers can clear $99,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $95K enough to live in Portland-South Portland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,841/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,130/month, which eats 36.5% 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 line installers and repairers salary go in Portland-South Portland?
Portland-South Portland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.86 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median telecommunications line installers and repairers salary is worth about $93,511 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do telecommunications line installers and repairers 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.