Fiber technician pay is compensation for fiber installation, splicing, and service work, with rates varying by state, scope, and W-2 or 1099 status. This guide lays out the public wage figures for every state 1099.careers recruits in, explains why an independent rate has to sit above the W-2 number to be worth the same, and shows how the prime's posted rate reaches you on the platform.
The figures cover two BLS occupations: telecommunications line installers and telecommunications equipment installers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track "fiber technician" as its own job title. Fiber work is reported under two occupations, and most independent technicians do some of both.
SOC 49-9052. Outside plant work: aerial and underground drops, strand and lashing, splicing in closures, and testing spans. This is the closer match for FTTH construction and drop crews. Nationally the median is $35.73 per hour, with the middle 80 percent between $21.79 and $49.85.
SOC 49-2022. Premises work: ONT turn-up, inside wiring, coax and Ethernet, and service calls in the home or business. This is the closer match for residential install and repair routes. Nationally the median is $30.72 per hour, with the middle 80 percent between $21.27 and $46.51.
Every figure on this page is an hourly W-2 employee wage reported by BLS. These are not 1099.careers rates. Every route on this platform is independent contractor (1099) work, and BLS does not survey contractor pay, so use these numbers as the floor an independent rate needs to clear, not as the offer. The range column shows the 10th to 90th percentile, so it excludes the lowest and highest tenth of reported wages. Annual figures use the BLS convention of 2,080 hours per year.
Among the states listed, median W-2 line-installer pay runs from $27.25 an hour in North Carolina to $49.91 in Rhode Island.
These are employee wages, the public baseline for the 1099 routes on this platform. Sorted by the states where fiber routes are open right now. Click a state to see the fiber work open there.
Scroll sideways to compare all wage columns.
| State | Line installer range10th to 90th percentile, hourly | Line installer medianhourly and annualized | Equipment installer medianhourly and annualized | Reported W-2 jobsboth occupations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAPennsylvania | $22.25 to $48.17 | $38.95$81,000 per year | $31.23$65,000 per year | 9,110 |
| OHOhio | $22.65 to $44.02 | $30.22$62,900 per year | $29.65$61,700 per year | 7,480 |
| VAVirginia | $21.74 to $49.27 | $38.03$79,100 per year | $29.49$61,300 per year | 7,430 |
| DEDelaware | $18.45 to $47.39 | $45.12$93,800 per year | $32.05$66,700 per year | 750 |
| NJNew Jersey | $28.22 to $55.29 | $49.08$102,100 per year | $37.50$78,000 per year | 5,230 |
| MAMassachusetts | $27.23 to $52.30 | $49.72$103,400 per year | $36.78$76,500 per year | 5,120 |
| NYNew York | $24.26 to $57.74 | $48.54$101,000 per year | $32.55$67,700 per year | 14,770 |
| CTConnecticut | $37.00 to $56.61 | $46.70$97,100 per year | $36.15$75,200 per year | 2,410 |
| RIRhode Island | $39.07 to $50.93 | $49.91$103,800 per year | $32.19$67,000 per year | 640 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $27.99 to $48.54 | $41.53$86,400 per year | $40.98$85,200 per year | 1,090 |
| VTVermont | $24.07 to $40.95 | $29.79$62,000 per year | $39.33$81,800 per year | 620 |
| MEMaine | $31.33 to $46.82 | $44.29$92,100 per year | $29.67$61,700 per year | 1,080 |
| MDMaryland | $24.60 to $49.18 | $39.60$82,400 per year | $30.31$63,000 per year | 4,920 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $18.57 to $39.18 | $27.25$56,700 per year | $30.75$64,000 per year | 6,150 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $18.86 to $39.28 | $28.75$59,800 per year | $29.56$61,500 per year | 3,440 |
| GAGeorgia | $19.73 to $38.92 | $28.25$58,800 per year | $31.20$64,900 per year | 10,170 |
| FLFlorida | $18.04 to $38.76 | $29.68$61,700 per year | $29.34$61,000 per year | 17,580 |
| TNTennessee | $21.98 to $40.30 | $30.53$63,500 per year | $29.43$61,200 per year | 5,100 |
| ALAlabama | $22.27 to $43.53 | $29.27$60,900 per year | $28.74$59,800 per year | 4,730 |
| KYKentucky | $20.41 to $43.95 | $30.77$64,000 per year | $28.70$59,700 per year | 4,080 |
| WVWest Virginia | $29.15 to $44.88 | $43.12$89,700 per year | $30.56$63,600 per year | 2,090 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates for SOC 49-9052 and 49-2022, retrieved through the BLS public data API. bls.gov/oes. Small states such as Delaware, Rhode Island, and Vermont have few reported jobs, so their percentiles move more from year to year. Figures last reviewed October 5, 2026.
A 1099 rate needs to cover business costs and unpaid time as well as your pay.
The table shows what an employer pays a technician on payroll. An employer also pays for things that never show up in that hourly wage. When you work as an independent contractor, those costs move to you, so the rate you accept has to cover them.
An employer pays half of Social Security and Medicare for a W-2 tech. As a 1099 contractor you pay both halves, 15.3 percent on net earnings, before income tax.
Workers' compensation, general liability, and often professional liability are yours to carry. Primes require them, and the premiums come out of your rate.
Fuel, vehicle wear, ladders, a fusion splicer or test set when the scope calls for it, and consumables are business costs a W-2 employer would normally cover.
Drive time between routes, waiting on a locate, paperwork, and days with no work orders are not billable. A per-drop or per-unit rate has to cover them.
Health coverage, retirement matching, holidays, and sick days are not in a 1099 rate unless you price them in.
Many independent technicians plan on an effective hourly rate 25 to 40 percent above the W-2 wage for the same work before the route is worth the same money. Where you land in that range depends on how much you drive, what equipment you own, and what your insurance costs. Most fiber scopes pay per drop or per unit, so divide the rate card by the realistic number of completions in a day, including drive time, to get a number you can compare with this table.
Insurance is the largest fixed cost for most new contractors. The platform offers coverage options for 1099 technicians so you can price it before you accept a route.
Approved technicians can see the rate card attached to each matched scope in their workspace.
Public wage tables tell you what the market pays employees. On the platform, the number that matters is the rate card attached to each scope, and it reaches you without a subcontractor layer taking a cut first.
A prime contractor or its direct contractor describes the work, the locations, the headcount, and the rate card for the project. The rate is stated the way the work is paid: per drop, per unit, per splice, or per hour.
Our team confirms the rate card with the company that posted the scope. Companies cannot publish a scope to technicians without one.
When a scope sits inside your service area and calls for your skills, it appears in your workspace with the rate card attached. Nothing is taken out between the prime and you.
You invoice for completed work on the payment terms stated on the scope. Your earnings records stay in your workspace for your business and your taxes.
Rate cards are visible to approved technicians inside their workspace. They are not published on this page because they belong to the companies that post them and change from project to project.
Start your profile in about 10 minutes. Once approved, matched scopes show up in your workspace with the prime's rate attached.