Statewide pay Government data
Telecom equipment installers in Rhode Island earn a statewide median of $66,960 a year, 8% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #19 of 50 states and DC. About 150 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Rhode Island
See all states on the telecom equipment installer overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes telecom equipment installer pay for 1 Rhode Island metro: Providence.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProvidenceRHODE ISLAND · RI | $69,110 | $67,906 | 310 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers' property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings.
Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 3.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,300 openings a year. Typical training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Nationally, telecom equipment installers have 168 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
What the work is like Government data
How often telecom equipment installers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Rhode Island Official source
The main state licensing office in Rhode Island is the Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for telecom equipment installers.
Official Rhode Island licensing site ↗
Requirements for telecom equipment installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 16.1% of wage and salary workers in Rhode Island were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#5 of 51 states and D.C.), and 17.5% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only telecom equipment installers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Rhode Island
All trades in Rhode Island.