Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Machines can already do 18% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 55%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 18% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 55% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 97,720 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $74,330 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 83% for contact with people.
- Also called: Cable Splicer, Cable Tech (Cable Technician), Cable TV Tech (Cable Television Technician), Combination Technician (Combination Tech).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment | 12% | 20% to 60% | |
| Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions | 12% | 20% to 60% | |
| 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 | 12% | 20% to 60% | |
| Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, such as digital subscriber line modems | 10% | 22% to 62% | |
| Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories | 10% | 3% to 30% | |
| String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches, and pull lines to proper tension | 10% | 20% to 60% | |
| Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduits running through trenches | 5% | 3% to 30% | |
| Pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches | 5% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills telecommunications line installers and repairers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Avionics Technicians52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $82,280
- Medical Equipment Repairers50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $61,660
- Home Appliance Repairers53% of tasks by 2035 · US median $50,990
- Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $56,550
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of telecommunications line installers and repairers?
Machines can do 18% of the tasks of telecommunications line installers and repairers today and 55% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 49-9052.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/telecommunications-line-installers-and-repairers/