Best Cities for Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where telecommunications line installers and repairerss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	West VirginiaState	1.43	$89,690	$106,520	11%
2	Rhode IslandState	1.39	$103,810	$103,294	17%
3	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.33	$91,500	$98,919	15%
4	MassachusettsState	1.28	$103,410	$95,309	26%
5	AlaskaState	1.26	$97,450	$93,432	17%
6	New JerseyState	1.26	$102,090	$93,833	21%
7	DelawareState	1.25	$93,850	$92,921	17%
8	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.25	$96,540	$93,275	20%
9	MaineState	1.24	$92,120	$92,305	17%
10	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.22	$103,090	$90,828	30%
11	ConnecticutState	1.21	$97,140	$90,279	19%
12	New YorkState	1.21	$100,960	$89,742	22%
13	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.20	$107,310	$89,276	35%
14	CaliforniaState	1.19	$97,980	$88,509	28%
15	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.17	$78,990	$86,612	19%
16	District of ColumbiaState	1.15	$97,600	$85,389	26%
17	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.14	$95,560	$84,716	25%
18	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.13	$88,850	$83,979	23%
19	PennsylvaniaState	1.12	$81,020	$83,526	19%
20	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.12	$96,780	$83,073	28%
21	New HampshireState	1.10	$86,370	$81,481	22%
22	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.09	$78,580	$80,844	24%
23	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.09	$74,260	$80,717	21%
24	MichiganState	1.08	$74,360	$80,563	18%
25	TexasState	1.07	$75,740	$79,226	22%
26	MontanaState	1.06	$75,720	$78,548	18%
27	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.04	$77,160	$77,548	23%
28	VirginiaState	1.03	$79,090	$76,415	24%
29	MarylandState	1.01	$82,380	$75,440	24%
30	MinnesotaState	1.01	$73,710	$75,214	21%
31	HawaiiState	0.98	$79,880	$72,618	36%
32	IllinoisState	0.98	$70,700	$72,587	22%
33	KentuckyState	0.97	$64,010	$72,328	18%
34	NevadaState	0.97	$72,230	$72,086	24%
35	ArkansasState	0.95	$60,840	$70,498	17%
36	KansasState	0.95	$63,560	$70,622	20%
37	WashingtonState	0.95	$76,070	$70,895	30%
38	AlabamaState	0.94	$60,890	$69,908	19%
39	OhioState	0.94	$62,860	$69,535	20%
40	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.94	$79,750	$69,773	33%
41	TennesseeState	0.93	$63,510	$69,410	24%
42	WisconsinState	0.93	$63,560	$68,862	20%
43	IowaState	0.92	$60,890	$68,262	19%
44	WyomingState	0.92	$63,660	$68,452	19%
45	Columbus, OHMetro	0.92	$64,000	$68,449	24%
46	MissouriState	0.90	$59,080	$66,682	21%
47	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.90	$64,190	$66,726	29%
48	IndianaState	0.88	$58,920	$65,105	21%
49	South CarolinaState	0.87	$59,790	$64,989	25%
50	North DakotaState	0.86	$59,280	$64,017	20%
51	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.86	$63,050	$64,010	33%
52	GeorgiaState	0.85	$58,760	$62,912	29%
53	New MexicoState	0.85	$58,130	$63,185	22%
54	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.85	$58,560	$63,103	26%
55	ColoradoState	0.84	$66,020	$62,638	34%
56	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.83	$59,080	$61,670	30%
57	FloridaState	0.82	$61,740	$60,828	33%
58	North CarolinaState	0.81	$56,680	$60,042	28%
59	UtahState	0.81	$60,090	$59,970	30%
60	VermontState	0.81	$61,970	$60,459	28%
61	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.81	$58,130	$60,052	33%
62	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.80	$64,120	$59,097	38%
63	IdahoState	0.79	$56,340	$58,383	26%
64	OregonState	0.79	$60,330	$58,573	32%
65	ArizonaState	0.78	$58,600	$58,077	31%
66	MississippiState	0.78	$49,360	$58,208	22%
67	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.77	$61,520	$57,069	35%
68	NebraskaState	0.74	$50,070	$54,721	25%
69	OklahomaState	0.74	$48,900	$55,254	24%
70	LouisianaState	0.73	$48,770	$54,129	26%
71	South DakotaState	0.73	$49,560	$54,581	23%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).