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.

What Does a Cable Technician Do

There are certain skills that many cable technicians 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 color vision, customer-service skills and dexterity.

Learn more about what a Cable Technician does

How To Become a Cable Technician

If you're interested in becoming a cable technician, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 16.2% of cable technicians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.4% of cable technicians have master's degrees. Even though some cable technicians 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 Technician

Cable Technician Job Description

A cable technician is a professional who is in charge of maintaining internet and television cabling for residential and business purposes. Their duties include installing new cables, performing repairs, and following safety regulations.

Learn more about Cable Technician Job Description

Cable Technician Career Paths

Average Salary for a Cable Technician

Cable Technicians in America make an average salary of $47,289 per year or $23 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $64,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $34,000 per year.
Average Cable Technician Salary
$47,289 Yearly
$22.74 hourly

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Roles and Types of Cable Technician

The role of a cable technician includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general cable technician responsibilities:

  • Install, move, terminate, test and document data cabling throughout facility
  • Maintains/repairs and tests copper cable in an underground, aerial, or buried environment. Troubleshoots problems that will require cable repair, cable maintenance, air pressure, splicing, faultfinding, etc. Makes splicing rearrangements on existing facilities in buried, underground, aerial
  • Read general system layouts from blueprints install, upgrade, downgrade or disconnect equipment complete associated paperwork with each work order persist

There are several types of cable technician, including:

Technician

Role:

To be a technician, you have to know your stuff. Some may refer to you as an expert in your field or maybe people will know you as skilled in an art or craft. Then again, you may just be needed to look after technical equipment.

Your workload as a technician will vary, depending on what you're trained in. You may be needed to set up a new computer system or maybe you'll need to fix an electricity problem. Either way, you'll probably only need to work 40 hours a week.

The degree of education required for this job depends on what you're specific skillset is. Some technicians only need a high school diploma, others may want to complete an associate's program or earn a certificate to help their employment opportunities. There's definitely something for everyone in the field of technicians.

  • Average Salary: $38,045
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

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

Communications Technician

Role:

Communication technicians are also referred to as telecommunications technicians. They supervise businesses' telecommunication networks such as internet telephone cable and some office equipment. As a communication technician, you are to utilize your expertise in electronics by diagnosing issues and repairing devices such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc. Also, you could be responsible for troubleshooting and engaging clients about the extent of malfunctions.

It is your duty to upgrade and maintain the company's current communications systems. You are also expected to evaluate client needs and install communication systems that meet these needs in the best way. Furthermore, you are to check all the wiring work done to make sure that there are no exposed cables for safety purposes. You are also to perform routine tests on telecommunication systems to make sure every component is functioning at optimal levels.

Employers lookout for candidates with at least a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree in business electrical engineering technology or electrical engineering. On a yearly basis, you should make an average salary of $48,155.

  • Average Salary: $52,222
  • Degree: Associate Degree

States With The Most Cable Technician Jobs

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

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Cable Technician Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,827$40,967
2Texas1,509$45,689
3Florida1,419$40,300
4New York1,184$52,922
5Georgia1,083$47,174
6Illinois1,029$53,539
7North Carolina1,021$51,743
8Pennsylvania825$50,665
9Virginia758$62,536
10Tennessee751$49,487
11Ohio726$49,345
12Massachusetts723$52,356
13Missouri715$56,091
14New Jersey691$65,021
15Minnesota689$46,128
16Colorado643$45,800
17Indiana628$48,177
18Michigan557$51,984
19South Carolina513$47,767
20Maryland492$57,496
21Arizona485$38,687
22Wisconsin460$49,305
23Washington452$38,890
24Alabama417$48,228
25Mississippi401$44,895
26Connecticut346$58,943
27Oklahoma333$47,738
28Iowa330$48,737
29Utah323$29,121
30Louisiana306$46,246
31Oregon272$34,459
32Kentucky268$50,379
33Maine251$44,130
34Arkansas245$41,977
35Kansas243$48,629
36New Mexico185$44,508
37Nebraska183$46,762
38Nevada173$35,492
39West Virginia159$48,263
40New Hampshire136$49,585
41Montana125$39,976
42North Dakota121$51,795
43Delaware106$46,134
44Idaho101$35,175
45Alaska96$46,678
46Vermont80$48,099
47Rhode Island65$43,506
48South Dakota63$51,237
49Wyoming51$39,368
50Hawaii49$29,320

Cable Technician Education

Cable Technician Majors

14.7 %

Cable Technician Degrees

High School Diploma

38.9 %

Associate

26.1 %

Bachelors

16.2 %

Top Colleges for Cable Technicians

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,914

Enrollment

4,155

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

Top Skills For a Cable Technician

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, 10.3% of cable technicians listed broadband on their resume, but soft skills such as color vision and customer-service skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Cable Technician Resume templates

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

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Cable Technician diversity

Cable Technician Gender Distribution

Male
Male
95%
Female
Female
5%

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

  • Among cable technicians, 5.0% of them are women, while 95.0% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among cable technicians is White, which makes up 57.2% of all cable technicians.

  • The most common foreign language among cable technicians is Spanish at 70.2%.

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Best States For a Cable Technician

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a cable technician. The best states for people in this position are New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Maryland. Cable technicians make the most in New Jersey with an average salary of $65,021. Whereas in Virginia and Connecticut, they would average $62,536 and $58,943, respectively. While cable technicians would only make an average of $57,496 in Maryland, 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. Missouri

Total Cable Technician Jobs: 715
Highest 10% Earn:
$97,000
Location Quotient:
1.41

2. New Jersey

Total Cable Technician Jobs: 691
Highest 10% Earn:
$100,000
Location Quotient:
1.01

3. Connecticut

Total Cable Technician Jobs: 346
Highest 10% Earn:
$89,000
Location Quotient:
1.21
Full List Of Best States For Cable Technicians

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Top Cable Technician Employers

Most Common Employers For Cable Technician

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Tektronix$49,212$23.66111
2MasTec$48,589$23.3675
3Charter Communications$46,592$22.40140
4Comcast$45,337$21.80625
5DISH Network$44,150$21.2365
6AT&T$43,693$21.01249
7American Cable & Telephone$43,566$20.9574
8FTS International$43,372$20.85132
9TAK Communications$43,286$20.81134
10CTIS$43,167$20.7578

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