Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, telecommunications line installers and repairers earn $79,750 at the median, or about $38.34 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.13), so that salary is closer to $71,763 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,501/month, about 45.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $80K get you in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue’s Regional Price Parity (111.13). 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Telecommunications line installers and repairers pay in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue tracks closely to the national median, $80K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,501/month, which is 46.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 11% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.13), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telecommunications line installers and repairers in metros near Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Yakima | $76K | $79K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $86K | $83K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $72K | $72K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $62K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Entry-level telecommunications line installers and repairers (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $56K 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)
Track telecommunications line installers and repairers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telecommunications line installers and repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 46.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,501/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications line installers and repairers typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,967/month. At HUD’s $2,501/month FMR, rent would take 84% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $80K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue compare to the national average for telecommunications line installers and repairers?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — below the national median.
How much do telecommunications line installers and repairers make in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median is $79,750 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,450, and experienced telecommunications line installers and repairers can clear $105,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,374/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,501/month, which eats 46.5% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has a Regional Price Parity of 111.13 (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 $71,763 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.