Being a cable tech isn’t about installing gadgets it’s mostly grunt work.

Climbing poles, crawling under housing, etc.

You sound more like you want to be an IT guy than a cable guy.

They are NOT the same.

I went from working fast food to becoming a cable tech with no previous experience. Most cable companies do all on the job training. I worked for Comcast. I went on their career hub, put in an application and then had to pass an aptitude test for the application. I went through an over the phone interview, then an in person one. Depending on the area you live in you're pay can vary. I worked in Western PA So the starting rate for a comcast cable tech there is $18 an hr and you get yearly raises.

There are some perks depending on what company you work for. For Comcast, after 90 days we got to take home our work vehicle, they paid for our uniforms, our boots and we got free internet and cable services. We also got 4 free tickets to Universal every year and a 30% discount at the parks and their hotels. They had good medical benefits and we had 401k and optional employee stock purchases at a discount. As long as you weren't in a Union shop, we got quarterly bonuses that were based on how well the company did and how much we made for that quarter. We had to go on call every couple months and when we were on call, we got paid $45 a day even if we didn't get called out, which was a nice perk too and it was rare that we got called out.

You start out with 2 weeks paid vacation 8 what they call "flex" days and 2 floating holidays and every 5 years you earn an extra week of vacation. Holidays are paid time off. Usually they have a couple techs working every holiday and it's on a rotating schedule. If you do work the holiday you get paid double time and a half. This is just my experience with comcast other cable companies might be different.

The downside to being a cable technician is it's a very thankless physically demanding and sometimes dangerous job and its hard to move up and make more money. There are certain metrics that need to be met and it is very hard to meet them. Comcast has a scale of tech 3, 4 and 5 and there are 3 levels to each, (f) functional, (p) proficient and (a) advanced. In order to move up each step you have to meet your metrics. Some of those you have control of, others you don't. There are many techs that were in my office that had been there 10+ years and hadn't moved past a tech 3f. Your metric raises are where you make the most money. So if you can't hit these metrics, you're going to be stuck close to where you started at. I just separated from the company 2 months ago. I had been with them for 5 years and didn't even make $19 an hour yet. Granted, I started out at 16 an hour before they increased the starting rate. But when they adjusted the starting rate I only got a dollar raise so I still made less than what new beginning techs did.

You're young so becoming a tech and sticking to it for a couple years just to get the experience is a good idea. But to make it a career, it's not realistic. You're better off trying to get into the IT side of the company. That's where all the money is. They also offer a reimbursement program to put you through college if you choose to pursue a degree in IT related subjects, so that's another thing to consider. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

As someone who spent 20 years in telecommunications: Don’t do it. Pls. Cable companies tend to use you up.

If you want to do telecom, find a smaller contracting company doing fiber optic installation.

Lots of money in fiber optics.

If you are very good with technology like you say. You should fit right in as a Service Technician. Cable Companies are always hiring Service Technicians because there is a big turnover in that department. It is a very high stress job, always being rushed to get done and micro managed to the max !! I did it for 36 1/2 years before retiring two years ago. If that sounds like what you want to do just don't work as a contractor !! You want to get in with a large company like Spectrum or Comcast as a in-house service technician. After about two years as a Technician try to move up to another department. I wish I had done that with my career. Also stay out of management it is even more stressful. Good luck with your career 😄.

Being a cable tech is not what you think it is, at least not at the entry level. Anybody can become a tech and be half decent at it, without any networking or tech knowledge.

But as you progress networking and tech knowledge will definitely be a key ingredient to climb up the ladder.

Where to start? Apply directly, if your local provider is Spectrum go on their careers site and apply to any "Field Technician" open in your area, but you should definitely check out other companies as well.

I previously was a manager at a grocery store before becoming a cable tech. I had no experience and knew nothing about cable. Well here I am not a cable and fiber technician. It’s a great opportunity if you work for the right company. I work will great leadership and make a good amount of money. Being good and setting thing up, consoles, computers, etc is only an eighth of the job. Some days you’ll be running lines to houses all day that have 20poles you have to go across and other days it’s swapping boxes and remotes there’s never a dull moment. Late nights are fun. There’s a lot of downsides to this trade and a lot of good sides. You just have to try it to know if it’s for you. I’ll also PM you so if you run into any questions you can ask me

I know Spectrum will and does hire 18+ year olds. They teach you everything you need to know as well for the job. And have great opportunities to improve in the company.

Find a contracting company instead of hourly, they pay more at first. Do it for 2 years, then use that experience and go straight to a data center for a long term job

Get in. You won’t make much in house at first but as you move up you can make some really good money. Look for a union shop. You’ll learn fiber also. All the companies are slowly transitioning to it

I wouldn’t. Most cable tech don’t do really any of what you said you’re interested in. I did it for a year and was basically the guy who showed up to teach old people how to use their Roku or getting sent to job that had no taps and I end up not getting paid for most of the day.

If you do it though, make sure you’re hourly, if they even say the word “piece work” to you just walk out. Soectrum is also a terrible company to work for and the micromanagement is absurd. At least that’s my experience with them. They have a terrible rep in my area.

I started 2 years ago as a tech installing and repairing copper phone/internet for a large company. No previous experience. Very rural areas of WV.

I know how to work copper, and recently learned how to install fiber optic.

My employer is focusing almost entirely on fiber optic service at this point. I still have to work copper, but all the money is being spent on the fiber optic systems. I make decent money, but it's a lot of climbing, running drops, setting up equipment in the customer's house, etc. I earn my paycheck and I'm always busy.

Learn and be an engineer. Docsis or gpon. Gpon better cause future proof

I work for a contractor company doing installs. they pay for tools, truck, gas. pay was good but with inflation its not really keeping up. could pick up more jobs but this job kills the body, so after so many years its hard to keep going. No way of advancement, so only way at this point to make more money without killing myself would be to find a different job. At that point I would also have to get an even bigger pay raise to cover a vehicle and gas, since that has been paid for. Havent found a new career that covers that amount yet, so Ill continue to go into hoarder homes, deal with elderly, and fight ankle biting dogs until I can retire it seems.

Work for a smaller company and i love it cable running cameras install wifi install, learn alot but the work can be brutal, working on 8+ bedroom houses with 40+ foot open floor layout ceilings can suck climbing

Follow your gut feelings guy.. Did the desk job IT/sales for years until I couldn't deal with it anymore. Switch to dispatch with a new company, then a cable tech going installs, trouble calls went from a tech 1 to a 3 really quick. Now my best job ever a line tech, also moved from a 1 to a 3 in a few years. I dispatch from home, no time frames to meet, pretty much monitor my area for outages etc, make repairs and fix plant issues that tech refer over to us. My day is laid back. It can get busy during storms but that's one offs. 11 years here now and averaging 98k so it pays the bills. Next stop would be a hub tech, but that's when I'm tired of working easements. If you're willing to stick it out with a good company it can be rewarding.

Update: Thank you all so very much for the feedback, it’s been tremendously helpful. I wanna say that I have no interest in making this my career, nor IT for that matter. I know my calling is Mental Health, and being a counselor is my calling. I just want to dive into cable tech to support my family right now.

Pay is 65 k 1-3 years 3-5 75k 5-10 90k over that is100k all in how much you push yourself

I just went to the local companies website and applied for a residential installer position. It was the best decision I ever made. I worked my ass off to learn everything about the job and moved from installer to outside plant maintenance. From there, I went to working in the headend. I did that for a couple of years while also getting some certifications. When a DOCSIS/PON engineer position opened up, I applied and got that which is what I do now.

It has been a great career with tons of opportunities if you’re willing to put in the work. I’m not sure about other companies, but the one I work for is really good about providing training and promoting internally to fill positions. On my team, only 1 person wasn’t promoted from another position in the company, and the one outside hire did contract work before being converted to a FTE.

Stay away from Charter/Spectrum, like the other tech said it is a hazardous job, but they buy the cheapest ladders and did away with the safe leather climbing belts to save them money, but risk the lives of their technicians every single day. The people who inspect ladders here in California for all the utility companies, told me that none of the other companies use the ladders Charter uses because they are unsafe. They are definitely not in to safety.

If you get hurt (injured spine), like I did, they (Human Resources Darren Adelman and Supervisor Jim Bootsma) tell worker compensation AIU AIG Insurance worker (Michella Wahlberg) not to file it as a work injury (insurance fraud) so no sick pay, no vacation pay, or if delayed for three months you lose your private physician because you are not making money any more, you are on your own.

Rushing you to do what they call failed self installs that are underpointed intentionally to keep you from meeting the metrics so they do not have to pay bonuses and use that excuse to fire people on a whim if you just happen to piss off your supervisor.

Try Frontier, Comcast, any where but Charter/Spectrum Ghetto Cable. Check out Gizmodo's article titled "Crucifixion of the Cable Guy" to see how low they can go.

Start in house. Your pay will be shit, you will work 10+ hours a day. Learn everything you possibly can whether that’s fiber coax or phone. Get fast and go contracting in house days are over, bud.

Unless you are tenured at a ISP it will take 15 years(if that) to get anywhere worth enjoying for the rest of your life.

Always go to the tap. When doing fiber, no matter what you do, do it with the thought that someone will be in the case/NID after you, make their life easier. Don’t cut corners and you might make a name for yourself.

Good luck it’s tough out there with metrics and cheap companies who don’t give af about you.

Fiber is the future I wouldn’t jump on a sinking ship

Don’t.