Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary
In Rapid City, SD, telecommunications line installers and repairers earn $49,460 at the median, or about $23.78 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.16), which stretches that salary to about $55,473 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,336/month, about 37.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Rapid City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rapid City’s Regional Price Parity (89.16). 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 Rapid City
Pay for telecommunications line installers and repairers in Rapid City runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,336/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.16 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for telecommunications line installers and repairerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telecommunications line installers and repairers in metros near Rapid City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $48K | $53K |
| Billings | $60K | $64K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $77K | $74K |
| Cedar Rapids | $51K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rapid City, SD
Entry-level telecommunications line installers and repairers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $29K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a telecommunications line installers and repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rapid City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,336/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Rapid City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications line installers and repairers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,094/month. At HUD’s $1,336/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Rapid City?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $49K here vs. $74K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Rapid City compare to the national average for telecommunications line installers and repairers?
Rapid City pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do telecommunications line installers and repairers make in Rapid City, SD?
The median is $49,460 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,900, and experienced telecommunications line installers and repairers can clear $63,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Rapid City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,482/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,336/month, which eats 38.4% 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 line installers and repairers salary go in Rapid City?
Rapid City has a Regional Price Parity of 89.16 (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 line installers and repairers salary is worth about $55,473 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.