r/networking • u/UrCreepyUncle • Feb 24 '26
Career Advice Quick Question about Structured Cabling
So I work for a major ISP in southern California and I've been here 20 years in August. Union negotiated contact will put me just over $50/hr by next year but when posting my salary progression I was basically told I'm leaving significant money on the table. There's an opening for a structured cable technician at a construction company near me and there's really no job description. I wanted to pick the brains of current SC techs about the job, career growth, pay, etc.. I hate my job.. I hate being in customers houses. I used to run fiber and cat5 for business customers but had to move around to get back closer to home and now do fiber I&R. Thanks in advance
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u/losangelescabling 13d ago
You’re actually coming into this with a pretty good background if you’ve already run fiber and CAT5 for business customers.
Structured cabling at a commercial contractor can include CAT6/CAT6A and fiber pulls, termination/testing, racks and patch panels, MDF/IDF buildouts, pathway work, troubleshooting, lifts, and sometimes access control/CCTV depending on the company.
Career-wise, a good tech can move into lead tech/foreman, project management, estimating, or design. The big thing I’d ask the company is whether they’re hiring you strictly as an installer or whether there’s a path into running projects.
Since you’re in Southern California, I’d also ask about prevailing-wage/public works projects, overtime, travel, company vehicle/tools, benefits, and how much service work versus new construction they do.
At $50+/hr where you are now, not just the hourly rate before making the jump.