Fiber Optic Technician
L-02L Other Low voltage and fire alarm jobs · Start level · O*NET 49-9052.00
- Texas median
whole occupation, 2025 - $75,740
- work over
40 h a week - 30%
- load index
from O*NET data - 3.5/5
- Texas jobs
2024 to 2034 - +4.3%
Pay
This level's pay
No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.
Whole occupation: all Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers, Texas BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049905213 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 9,700 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049905201).
BLS OEWS May 2025
- Series OEUS480000000000049905213 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
- Based on an estimated 9,700 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000049905201).
Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers, not level-specific TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
TWC, BLS
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- Texas
- +4.3% jobs · about 810 openings a year (8,120 jobs in 2024)
- United States
- -3.1% jobs · about 8,900 openings a year (99,900 jobs in 2024)
Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.
Hours O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 20 respondents, O*NET OnLine
O*NET 31.0
- Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), O*NET Work Context, data 08/2026, n = 20 respondents, O*NET OnLine
Schedule: regular 71% · irregular 29% · seasonal 0%
Striped: O*NET marks the estimate "Recommend suppress" (low precision).
Physical load 3.5 of 5, our index from O*NET Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (3.32, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.65, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Method
- Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (3.32, 6 measures) and an exposure index (3.65, 7 measures), built from O*NET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
- O*NET OnLine
Body
- Standing3.81
- Bending or twisting3.63
- Walking or running3.4
- Kneeling or crawling3.4
- Climbing ladders3.26
- Keeping balance2.44
Exposure
- Outdoors, all weather4.95
- Very hot or cold4.43
- Hazardous equipment3.68
- Cramped space3.57
- High places3.48
- Protective gear2.89
- Hazardous conditions2.54
Getting in
- License
- No TDLR electrician license for fiber, cabling and communications circuits (1305.003(a)(12)). Alarm or access control work may need a DPS license: not checked (site unreachable 2026-10-03).
- Degree
- 2% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years of related experience is the most common answer (29% of workers).
O*NET
- O*NET Related Work Experience, Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers, O*NET OnLine
- Preparation
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Why this level
- Start: O*NET Job Zone 2 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).
Moves to the side 7
- L Field Radio Technician O*NET lists Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83. License gate: not checked yet.
- I Locomotive Electrician O*NET lists Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83.
- L1 Low-Voltage Technician O*NET lists Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83. License gate: not checked yet.
- L Audio Video Installer O*NET lists Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.76.
What the work is 6 core tasks
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
- Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
- Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
- Clean or maintain tools or test equipment.
- Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, such as digital subscriber line modems.
- Access specific areas to string lines, or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces.
- Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches.
Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.
Top skills
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Coordination
- Equipment Maintenance
- Installation
Sources (4)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000049905213, read 2026-10-03
- Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 49-9052.00 Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers, read 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license
Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.
