Statewide pay Government data
Telecom line installers in Texas earn a statewide median of $75,740 a year, 14% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #18 of 50 states and DC. About 9,700 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Texas
See all states on the telecom line installer overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes telecom line installer pay for 17 Texas metros: Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, Killeen, Laredo, Longview, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, Odessa, San Antonio, Texarkana, Tyler and Wichita Falls.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| OdessaTEXAS · TX | $92,750 | $98,780 | 40 |
| Corpus ChristiTEXAS · TX | $82,810 | $89,359 | 130 |
| LongviewTEXAS · TX | $82,230 | $91,892 | 90 |
| MidlandTEXAS · TX | $81,620 | $85,213 | 130 |
| DallasTEXAS · TX | $78,580 | $76,225 | 3,030 |
| McAllenTEXAS · TX | $78,370 | $91,239 | 130 |
| AmarilloTEXAS · TX | $78,230 | $85,199 | 90 |
| Wichita FallsTEXAS · TX | $77,720 | $86,825 | 60 |
| TexarkanaTEXAS · TX | $77,700 | $92,487 | 40 |
| AustinTEXAS · TX | $77,380 | $78,906 | 790 |
| HoustonTEXAS · TX | $76,950 | $78,020 | 2,040 |
| San AntonioTEXAS · TX | $74,260 | $78,403 | 910 |
| TylerTEXAS · TX | $71,590 | $77,683 | 60 |
| KilleenTEXAS · TX | $68,450 | $75,111 | 60 |
| LaredoTEXAS · TX | $66,700 | $76,705 | 30 |
| BeaumontTEXAS · TX | $65,440 | $72,674 | 90 |
| LubbockTEXAS · TX | $55,680 | $60,974 | 130 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Texas's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 3.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,000 openings a year. Typical training: long-term on-the-job training.
Nationally, telecom line installers have 379 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 4.4× 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 line installers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Texas Official source
The main state licensing office in Texas is the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. It can point you to the right license for telecom line installers.
Official Texas licensing site ↗
Requirements for telecom line installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Cities in Texas
All trades in Texas.