How much do cable technicians make in 2026?
Cable technicians are counted in the BLS telecommunications line installers and repairers series: OEWS May 2025 gives SOC 49-9052 a national median of $74,330 a year ($35.73 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $45,310 and the top 10% at $103,680. The series covers the outside-plant trade broadly, so it is a band for the whole family of cable and fiber roles rather than a cable-technician-specific figure. The most consequential variable in this job is not skill level but employment model. Technicians employed directly by a cable operator receive an hourly rate with benefits, a vehicle, structured training and a defined progression path, and generally sit around the middle of this band. Technicians working the same routes for a contractor are frequently paid per completed job — a rate for an installation, a lower rate for a service call, a deduction for a repeat visit — which rewards speed and punishes complicated work, and produces income that varies with the route you are given. Some contract technicians out-earn direct employees; many do not, once vehicle costs, tools and unpaid time are counted. Skill still matters, and technicians who move from drops and set-top work into plant maintenance, sweep and balance, and fiber node work sit meaningfully higher. Employment is projected to decline 3.1% through 2034, with roughly 8,900 openings a year. → Full cable technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $74,330 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Cable Technicians earn a national median $74,330/yr ($35.73/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9052); the P10 to P90 range is $45,310 to $103,680.
- Employment model matters more than skill level: direct employment brings an hourly rate, benefits and a vehicle, while contract work is often paid per completed job.
- Piece-rate contracting rewards speed and penalises complicated calls, so income depends heavily on the routes assigned and on costs the technician absorbs.
- Moving from drops and set-top work into plant maintenance, sweep and balance and fiber node work is the reliable route up this band.
US Cable Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do cable technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 49-9052; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9052, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a cable technician earn at each career stage?
Cable pay follows movement from the customer premises toward the plant. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 49-9052.
By State
Which states pay cable technicians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national telecommunications line installer median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. In cable work the operator's own pay structure and whether the local workforce is direct or contracted matter far more than the state wage level.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($85,480), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay cable technicians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Dense urban systems generate more service work per route than sprawling suburban ones.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a cable technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does cable technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Cable Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify cable technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a cable technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Cable Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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