Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Salary
In Watertown-Fort Drum, NY, telecommunications line installers and repairers earn $108,670 at the median, or about $52.24 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $123,925 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,405/month, or 21% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $109K get you in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). 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 Watertown-Fort Drum
Watertown-Fort Drum sits well above the national pay line for telecommunications line installers and repairers, local pay runs about 46% higher than the U.S. median of $74K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,405/month, 21.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Watertown-Fort Drum offers a genuinely strong financial position for telecommunications line installers and repairerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telecommunications line installers and repairers in metros near Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $103K | $91K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $79K | $79K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $81K | $85K |
| Rochester | $78K | $80K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level telecommunications line installers and repairers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $109K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $61K 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 |
| Iowa | $61K | -18% | 820 |
| Alabama | $61K | -18% | 1,530 |
| 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 states
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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Yes — at the median salary of $109K, rent takes 21.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for telecommunications line installers and repairers in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telecommunications line installers and repairers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,886/month. At HUD’s $1,405/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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Local pay is 46% above the national median — $109K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for telecommunications line installers and repairers?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $109K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +46%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $124K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telecommunications line installers and repairers make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $108,670 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,100, and experienced telecommunications line installers and repairers can clear $108,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $109K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,614/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 21.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a telecommunications line installers and repairers salary go in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (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 $123,925 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.