Aloha! Average Telecom Lineman Pay in Hawaii Exceeds $100K

As part of its annual reporting on the Telecommunications Technician profession, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed data showing Hawaii ranks highest in average (mean) annual income for telecommunications line installers and repairers—at $103,840.

The average pay by state is the proverbial tip of the iceberg of information the BLS provides on an annual basis for this profession. In its state-by-state analysis, the bureau reports overall employment for the sub-category (total number of people employed in that sub-category in each state) and location quotient (concentration of jobs in that sub-category within the state). Additionally, the BLS dives deeper geographically, producing statistics by area (metropolitan and non-metropolitan).

We recently reported on overall pay and employment-outlook figures that BLS produced in mid-2024.

The telecom line installer and repairer is one of three sub-categories within the BLS’s telecom technician job classification. The other two are telecom equipment installers and repairers other than line installers, and radio/cellular/tower equipment installers and repairers. The BLS report for 2023 lists the 5 highest-paying states for each of these sub-categories. The bureau uses mean average for these state-by-state comparisons, while it uses median when calculating average pay across the entire nation. The 5 highest-paying states for each sub-category are as follows. In parentheses after each state name is the total number of people employed within that sub-category in the state.

Telecommunications line installers and repairers

• Hawaii (400): $103,840
• New Jersey (2930): $92,930
• Rhode Island (720): $92,490
• Massachusetts (2650): $92,290
• District of Columbia (370): $89,320

Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

• Rhode Island (200): $94,400
• Alaska (1040): $86,580
• District of Columbia (370): $81,380
• Connecticut (1280): $79,730
• New Hampshire (850): $79,200

Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers

• Wisconsin (8): $86,830
• New York (220): $81,560
• Connecticut (8): $81,480
• Pennsylvania (260): $81,290
• California (880): $80,920