What is the salary and career path for a install technician?
Install technician is a broad label BLS counts under Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers (SOC 49-2022), the code for technicians who set up communications equipment at the premises. OEWS May 2025 lists the median at $63,890 a year ($30.72 an hour), from $44,240 at the 10th percentile to $96,730 at the 90th, with route productivity and multi-service skill setting the range. Employment Projections show the code declining 4.2% across 2024–2034 as self-install grows, though turnover still opens roughly 13,200 jobs a year. No license is needed; provider install certification, a clean driving record and customer-facing skill are the hiring bar.
- Install Technicians earn a national median $63,890/yr ($30.72/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2022); the top 10% clear $96,730.
- No license is required; provider install certification, a clean driving record and customer-facing skill are what get install techs hired.
- BLS projects the equipment-installer code to decline 4.2% for 2024–34 as self-install grows, though turnover opens about 13,200 jobs a year.
- The ladder runs from trainee through solo installer and multi-service tech to install supervisor near $96,730.
Career Path
How do you become an install technician?
Install Technician Trainee
Rides along and learns drops and provisioning; pay near the BLS 10th percentile.
Install Technician
Runs a solo install route activating new service — around the $63,890 median.
Senior / Multi-Service Technician
Handles complex commercial and multi-service installs; earnings near the 75th percentile.
Install Supervisor / Field Trainer
Leads an install crew and quality; top-decile pay near the 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays install technicians the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2022. National median: $63,890. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does install technician pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles install technicians most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: install technicians rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −4.2% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly install technicians clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2022 (install technicians) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do install technicians need?
Operator academy credential certifying you on their install standards, meters and workmanship. See all state licences →
Industry cable-install certification recognized across operators.
Ladder and jobsite safety training plus a clean driving record for a route-based role.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do install technicians use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 49-2022
Salary Levers
How do install technicians earn above the $63,890 BLS median?
Route productivity
Completing more clean installs per day on incentive plans lifts pay above the $44,240 entry tier.
Multi-service and commercial skill
Handling complex commercial and multi-service jobs moves earnings toward the median and top decile.
Trainer and supervisory roles
Install-supervisor and field-trainer positions reach toward the $96,730 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an install technician worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-2022. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Install Technician Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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