male worker harnessed up a telephone poll doing maintenance

Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers

(NOC 72204)
Annual Earnings
$77,167
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
College Diploma or Apprenticeship, 2 or more years
Job Openings
(2024-2034)
350

Career Overview

Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers:

  • Install, repair and maintain telecommunication lines and cables, cable television transmission and distribution systems and associated hardware
  • Work for cable television companies and telephone and other telecommunications services

Job Titles

Access technician - telecommunication
Apprentice lineman/woman - telecommunications
Cable installer - telecommunications
Cable repairer - telecommunications
Cable repair technician - telecommunications
Cable television installation technician
Cable television installer
Cable television maintenance technician
Cable tester - telecommunications
Communication line technician
Communications electrician - construction craft
Communication technician - construction
Community antenna television (CATV) installation technician
Community antenna television (CATV) maintenance technician
Construction technician - cable television
Construction technician - telecommunications
Fibre optic cable splicer
Journeyman/woman lineman/woman - telecommunications
Line inspector - telecommunications
Line installer - telecommunications
Line repairer - telecommunications
Repair lineman/woman - telecommunications
Rigger - telecommunications
Section lineman/woman - telecommunications
Service tracer - telecommunications
Signal tracer - telecommunications
Splicer technician - telecommunications
Splicer technician - telephone
Splicer - telecommunications
Structured cabling technician
Telecommunication cable installer
Telecommunication cable repairer
Telecommunication line construction technician
Telecommunication line technician
Telecommunications cable splicer
Telecommunications line installer
Telecommunications lineman/woman
Telecontrol technologist
Telephone cable splicer
Telephone line and cableman/woman
Telephone line technician
Toll line inspector - telecommunications
Toll lineman/woman - telecommunications
Toll line repairman/woman - telecommunications
Tracer - telecommunications
Underground cable splicer - telecommunications

Duties

Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Install, remove, maintain and repair aerial and underground telephone, coaxial and fibre optic cable television and other telecommunication transmission and distribution lines, cables and associated hardware
  • Splice and repair various types and sizes of telephone and other telecommunication cables including single line, coaxial and fibre optic
  • Repair or replace faulty cables, power supplies, amplifiers and other associated transmission and distribution equipment
  • Inspect, monitor, test and adjust telecommunication transmission lines and cables and distibution systems
  • Analyze and record test results
  • Climb and work high up on poles, ladders or other support structures
  • Work in confined spaces such as trenches, tunnels and crawl spaces
  • Communicate with other workers to coordinate the preparation and completion of work assignments
  • Help with the erection and removal of telecommunication poles, towers and associated support structures
  • May operate excavation machinery and other heavy equipment

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$77,167

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$62.50/hr
Median$37.00/hr
Low$30.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2024 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

1,025

% Employed Full Time

66%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work may take place in an inside work environment where the temperature or humidity may be different from normal room conditions
  • Work can also take place outdoors, so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
  • Working with equipment, machinery or power/hand tools may be a source of injury
  • Exposure to electrical circuitry, high tension wires, transformers or other equipment in the workplace may be a source of electrical shock
  • Work locations and conditions may also be dangerous such as working on communications poles or ladders

Career Pathways

Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Education, Training and Skills

  • Completion of secondary school is required

Telecommunication line and cable installers and repairers:

  • Completion of a four-year telecommunications line and cable apprenticeship program, or
    • A combination of over three years work experience in the trade and some industry- related, or
    • Other specialized courses, or
    • Completion of a two-year college program in electronics is usually required

Cable television maintenance technicians:

  • Completion of a college program in electronics, or
    • A combination of college, correspondence or industry courses related to electronics and electrical systems and on-the-job training
    • Completion of a four-year cable television technician apprenticeship program is required
  • Trade certification for cable television technicians is available, but voluntary, in British Columbia and the Yukon

Workers who are certified for an occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.

For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.

Contact SkilledTradesBC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.

For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.

View a list of B.C. occupational regulators.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Electrical, Electronic & Communications Engineering
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

53%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

53%
Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

53%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

53%
Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

50%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

50%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

50%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

50%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

50%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

50%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

1,025
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 45 4.4%
Kootenay 15 1.5%
Mainland/Southwest 585 57.1%
North Coast and Nechako 25 2.4%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 205 20.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast 145 14.1%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)

350
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 10 0.7%
Kootenay Not available Not available
Mainland/Southwest 230 1.3%
North Coast and Nechako 0 -1.7%
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan 60 0.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 30 0.1%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2024-2034)
Information, Culture and Recreation170
Construction150
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services20
Manufacturing10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources