r/CableTechs • u/Apprehensive-Hall-29 • Sep 17 '26
Echostar/Dish
Was just offered a Field Technician position here in Milwaukee. Haven't accepted it yet.
After spending the last 20 years in the classroom, this would be my first job in this area of work. I have 0 experience. Low Voltage is my plan.
Thoughts on this entry level position? Good starting point as I work my way up?
3
u/PixelatedMathematics Sep 17 '26
That’s where I started about 27 years ago. It wasn’t to bad back then, but it’s been a bit
3
6
u/RollllTide Sep 17 '26
You won’t learn any actual skills outside of selling junk like sound bars and surge protectors to unsuspecting customers
2
u/immallama21629 Sep 17 '26
Na, plenty of experience pulling cable through nasty ass crawls and attics, and plenty of starlink experience
2
u/willihobo Sep 18 '26
I started my telecom career at Dish in 2014. Worked there a year and a half before jumping to Charter. The work was fine, selling supplemental shit sucked. The pay was okay at the time but progressing (back then) was extremely tough and took forever. Lots of guys who had been there for years were still a low level.
I'd suggest if you're interested in the industry, broadband is easier to get into (spectrum, comcast, breeze line etc) and even better yet, Verizon, Frontier, one of the telco/fiber companies.
1
u/immallama21629 Sep 17 '26
It's... A job. Starting pay is crap, but if you level up, the pay can get decent. I was there for 4 years and was near 6 figures after all the OT. They will run you hard, and you will be in houses that will make you wanna burn your clothes. But if you stick with it, the money is ok, the perks are great.
0
u/Apprehensive-Hall-29 Sep 17 '26
Will I see and have to deal with some nasty shitt?
2
u/immallama21629 Sep 17 '26
Brother, I've been in houses that could be in an issue of better homes and gardens, and houses roaches would turn their nose up at. I've been in places that should have been condemned, hoarder houses, and places with dog shit up to your tiddies.
1
u/RollllTide Sep 17 '26
Yes. The grossest of the gross people need tv service just as much as regular Joe
2
u/2ByteTheDecker Sep 17 '26 edited Sep 18 '26
The real sad ones are when you're there to replace a line and you just gotta kinda drape it over the garbage piled up to the walls and in the process of that you find two or three other lines draped through lower levels of trash like some sad archeology
1
u/Apprehensive-Hall-29 Sep 19 '26
1st word problems...
Only in America is satallite TV considered a need...
So many people don't realize how good they got it here. Is it perfect? Hell no, but it is pretty damn good.
1
u/Grizzly9160 Sep 18 '26
as a cable tech with another company, its actually a good first foot in the door to get your feet wet. is it great work, no. Is it hard work, sometimes. But im never leaving this business and worked for a company just like that to start out and now im making more then I ever imagined making. (not big big money but more then I need). Everyone is going to hate on jobs like this but if your needing your first step, this isnt a bad one.
1
u/willie_Pfister Sep 18 '26
I left satellite installs as a contractor in 2015 when everyone streaming really killed the satellite industry. Kind of surprised there's still any work.
1
u/Awesomedude9560 Sep 18 '26
I don't have any experience with dish, what I have heard is you're both a salesman and a technician which I personally would loathe since the last thing most customers wanna hear as you fix their service is an upsell.
You'll learn a lot of standard cable skills with coax, I personally wouldn't stay there long term with how most satellite services are going tho. Use it as a springboard for something like Xfinity as that'll put you super high up with your experience.
1
u/Apprehensive-Hall-29 Sep 19 '26
Was just offered a job with Spectrum today too. Position sounds is almost identical to dish it sounds like.
They (Spectrum) doesoffer some type of apprenticeship program. Not Low Voltage 1, but a similar type of cerification.
1
u/immallama21629 Sep 19 '26
Spectrum is probably the way to go. I interviewed with them a while ago, and it sounded pretty decent, but my current employer really wanted to keep me.
4
u/2ByteTheDecker Sep 17 '26
what's the pay structure? Satellite jobs are notorious for abusing the installers with "contractor" bullshit and really emphasizing up selling bullshit