Cable installers are specialists in the installation and repair of main lines or the equipment and lines at the customer's location. They examine the lines whenever there is trouble and then rectify or replace the faulty equipment if needed. They take care of other general electrical, maintenance, and communication cable installation-related duties. Cable installers earn a median sum of $36,000 annually or $17 per hour.

Cable installers play an integral role in society even though they are slightly overlooked. They primarily set up internet and cable in customers' homes and offices. They then run some tests and troubleshoot the equipment and connections to ensure they are working effectively before leaving the premises. They may string and pull up cables between poles and underground as necessary to provide the strongest signal in the best position.

Cable installers typically hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. Earning a bachelor's degree in relevant fields like computer science, information technology, telecommunications, and many more can prove advantageous in some instances. Employers tend to prefer candidates with work experience with basic computer and electronic skills.

What Does a Cable Installer Do

There are certain skills that many cable installers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, dexterity and color vision.

Learn more about what a Cable Installer does

How To Become a Cable Installer

If you're interested in becoming a cable installer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 14.8% of cable installers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.5% of cable installers have master's degrees. Even though some cable installers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Cable Installer

Cable Installer Career Paths

Average Salary for a Cable Installer

Cable Installers in America make an average salary of $41,581 per year or $20 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $48,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $35,000 per year.
Average Cable Installer Salary
$41,581 Yearly
$19.99 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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Roles and Types of Cable Installer

There are several types of cable installer, including:

Installer

Role:

You've probably already figured out that the main part of an installer's job is to install things. That might be installing electronic equipment or maybe it's installing furniture. Whatever direction you decide to take this career, just know that you have some variety to what you actually want to become.

Construction. Furniture. Equipment. Electrical. Cabinet. The list goes on and on. There are so many things out there that need to be installed. So figure out what you're most passionate about and start installing it. Maybe you'll drive to a client's site to install it or maybe you'll meet up with a client at your place of business to discuss a project. Later on in the day, you might need to check up on some equipment that you installed previously to make sure everything is running right. Either way, every day brings something new. You never know what you'll be doing.

It's important to note that installers don't just install something and then walk away. They're in charge of following the project all the way through. That includes doing some prep work and then cleaning up once the item has been installed. You're also going to have to talk with clients to figure out what exactly they need/want installed. Communication is a big must-have here.

  • Average Salary: $39,799
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Installation Technician

Role:

Installation technicians answer service calls and travel to the customers' location to fix, install, troubleshoot, or do maintenance work on computers in people's homes or at business venues.

This job is for people who do not like to spend their days in a chair and know how to optimally organize the logistics of a job that requires traveling from one client to the next, all day.

You need to be able to maintain a good relationship with customers, so you will be the one they call next time, too. And you need to log and document the services, so you will need some administrative skills as well. And, it goes without saying, analytical thinking and diligent maintenance of working equipment are a must.
  • Average Salary: $38,043
  • Degree: High School Diploma

Cable Technician

Role:

Most people like to watch TV, right? Well, you better believe Netflix and chill would not be a thing without the help of cable technicians. These miracle workers are responsible for installing, repairing and maintaining the cables that are necessary for internet and television services.

And it's not like it's an easy job either. The cables have high voltages that could kill someone instantly. Plus they have to work in all kinds of weather, since the job primarily takes place outside. So the next time you see a cable technician, you should thank them. They're the real reason you're able to binge-watch shows.
  • Average Salary: $47,289
  • Degree: High School Diploma

States With The Most Cable Installer Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active cable installer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where cable installers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Cable Installer Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,004$41,308
2Texas628$38,634
3Florida494$38,262
4Georgia430$38,128
5Tennessee371$39,066
6Illinois350$41,576
7New York337$39,668
8Virginia304$47,268
9Colorado287$41,665
10Ohio277$37,998
11North Carolina275$39,826
12Pennsylvania256$39,180
13Missouri240$39,929
14Mississippi240$37,290
15Indiana227$36,521
16Washington225$43,588
17Iowa224$35,158
18Arizona206$36,110
19South Carolina199$38,067
20Michigan197$38,520
21Maryland190$43,771
22Minnesota184$31,823
23New Jersey183$50,956
24Alabama169$39,595
25Massachusetts163$38,606
26Utah159$30,251
27Louisiana158$39,621
28Connecticut148$47,308
29Oregon137$40,461
30Wisconsin121$38,455
31Oklahoma115$39,442
32Kansas83$40,036
33Idaho78$38,566
34New Mexico73$39,409
35Arkansas73$34,225
36Nevada71$36,306
37Kentucky70$39,196
38Nebraska65$38,917
39North Dakota63$42,382
40Montana59$39,550
41New Hampshire41$41,746
42Maine41$40,055
43West Virginia38$36,831
44Delaware35$35,411
45Hawaii17$37,178
46Vermont12$40,861
47South Dakota10$43,597
48Alaska9$48,157
49Wyoming9$40,161
50Rhode Island8$35,640

Cable Installer Education

Cable Installer Majors

13.6 %

Cable Installer Degrees

High School Diploma

42.4 %

Associate

24.3 %

Bachelors

14.8 %

Top Colleges for Cable Installers

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Computer Technical Support
Liberal Arts
Business
Education
Computer Information Systems

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,914

Enrollment

4,155

Admissions

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Criminal Justice
Business
Liberal Arts
Education
Computer Technical Support

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

Admissions

Top Skills For a Cable Installer

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 38.3% of cable installers listed broadband on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and dexterity are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Cable Installer Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Cable Installer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Cable Installer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
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Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
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Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume
Cable Installer Resume

Cable Installer Demographics

Cable Installer Gender Distribution

Male
Male
95%
Female
Female
5%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among cable installers, 4.6% of them are women, while 95.4% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among cable installers is White, which makes up 57.3% of all cable installers.

  • The most common foreign language among cable installers is Spanish at 73.1%.

Online Courses For Cable Installer That You May Like

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1. Introduction To Fiber Optic Cabling

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Best States For a Cable Installer

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a cable installer. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, Alaska, Connecticut, and Virginia. Cable installers make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $50,956. Whereas in Alaska and Connecticut, they would average $48,157 and $47,308, respectively. While cable installers would only make an average of $47,268 in Virginia, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Connecticut

Total Cable Installer Jobs: 148
Highest 10% Earn:
$55,000
Location Quotient:
1.36

2. North Dakota

Total Cable Installer Jobs: 63
Highest 10% Earn:
$51,000
Location Quotient:
2.07

3. Virginia

Total Cable Installer Jobs: 304
Highest 10% Earn:
$56,000
Location Quotient:
0.98
Full List Of Best States For Cable Installers

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Top Cable Installer Employers

Most Common Employers For Cable Installer

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1MasTec$43,714$21.0218
2ACI$42,422$20.4028
3AT&T$42,381$20.38180
4TAK Communications$41,970$20.1839
5DIRECTV Puerto Rico$41,828$20.1125
6OC Communications$41,761$20.0820
7Prince Telecom$41,755$20.07118
8BAKER INSTALLATIONS$41,717$20.0619
9AMTEC Corporation$41,523$19.9619
10CUI$41,431$19.9220

Cable Installer Videos