Telecommunications Linesworker

A telecommunications linesworker installs, maintains, and repairs copper and fibre optic cable networks that carry voice, data, and broadband signals across Australia. Working in outdoor environments at height and underground, they diagnose faults, test signal integrity, and restore service to residential and commercial customers in compliance with Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) standards and electrical safety legislation.

Climb poles and access elevated structures using safety harnesses and fall-arrest equipment to install and service overhead telecommunications lines. Splice copper and fibre optic cables using mechanical connectors, fusion splicers, and termination kits to establish or restore network connections. Excavate and lay underground telecommunications ducts and cables in accordance with Before You Dig Australia processes and local council requirements. Test signal strength, continuity, and data transmission rates using multimeters, optical power meters, and OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) equipment. Identify and locate faults in cable networks using line tracing equipment and customer reported service outages. Terminate and test telephone exchange lines, twisted pair cables, and fibre optic patch panels at exchange stations and customer premises. Clear vegetation and debris from overhead cable routes and conduct preventative maintenance inspections. Complete job cards and lodge service reports documenting cable installations, fault rectifications, and customer handovers.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll be climbing poles and working at heights in all weather, which means cold hands, wet gear, and real fall risks even with safety gear. The work is physically demanding and repetitive. Pay growth tops out relatively quickly once you're qualified, and the industry is automating fault detection, which may reduce call-outs over time.

Practically speaking, jobs concentrate in metro areas where NBN rollout and network density create ongoing demand. Regional areas have fewer positions. Most work is field-based; remote work isn't an option.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3424, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Documentationcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Digital Literacy
• Dispatch Documentation
• Quality Assurance and Checking
• Record Management
• Stakeholder Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026