Outside Plant Technician Salary in the United States

How much does an Outside Plant Technician make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Outside Plant Technician in the United States is $78,360 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, an Outside Plant Technician's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $96,456
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,900 to $87,832
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $67,930
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View as table View as graph 25% $72,900 10% $67,930 90% $96,456 75% $87,832 $78,360 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Outside Plant Technician Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $87,832 $7,319 $1,689 $42
Average $78,360 $6,530 $1,507 $38
25th Percentile $72,900 $6,075 $1,402 $35
Check out Outside Plant Technician Job Openings in the United States
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BHE GT&S - LUSBY, MD

Outside Plant Technician

TekSynap - ARLINGTON, VA

Inside Outside Plant Manager

ValidaTek - ARLINGTON, VA

Cable Plant Technician

People, Technology and Processes LLC - NORFOLK, VA

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Key Factors That Influence Outside Plant Technician Salaries

An Outside Plant Technician's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Outside Plant Technician Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Outside Plant Technician's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $77,829
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $78,739
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $82,389
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $85,110
  • Expert (over 8 years): $85,451
Levels Salary
Entry Level Outside Plant Technician$77,829
Intermediate Level Outside Plant Technician$78,739
Senior Level Outside Plant Technician$82,389
Specialist Level Outside Plant Technician$85,110
Expert Level Outside Plant Technician$85,451
$77,829 0 yr
$78,739 < 2 yrs
$82,389 2-4 yrs
$85,110 5-8 yrs
$85,451 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Outside Plant Technicians

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $98,835
  • San Francisco: $97,863
  • Oakland: $95,693

What Skills Can Increase an Outside Plant Technician's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 4.86% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
  • Healthcare Facilities Management (Mentioned in 5.23% Job Postings): Developing and implementing facility plans and processes while coordinating assets, resources, and people to ensure excellent healthcare services.
  • Control Structure (Mentioned in 4.05% Job Postings): Control Structures are the blocks that analyze variables and choose directions in which to go based on given parameters.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting 4.86%
Healthcare Facilities Management 5.23%
Control Structure 4.05%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Outside Plant Technician's salary.
  • Team Operations: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Mechanical Systems: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • HVAC: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Team Operations
 $83,061
6%
Mechanical Systems
 $81,494
4%
HVAC
 $81,494
4%
Collaboration
 $81,494
4%
Leadership
 $80,710
3%
Standard Operating Procedures
 $79,927
2%
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Outside Plant Technician Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Outside Plant Technician's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on January 01, 2026
$72,900
Average $78,360/year
$87,832
$6,075
Average $6,530/month
$7,319
$1,402
Average $1,507/week
$1,689
$35
Average $38/hour
$42
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $87,832 $7,319 $1,689 $42
Average $78,360 $6,530 $1,507 $38
25th Percentile $72,900 $6,075 $1,402 $35

Salaries of jobs related to Outside Plant Technician

Salary Trends for Outside Plant Technician

Salaries for an Outside Plant Technician can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $71,865 in 2023 to around $71,076 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Outside Plant Technician salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Outside Plant Technician Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$71,865
2024
$71,693
2025
$71,076
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $71,865
2024 $71,693
2025 $71,076
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Outside Plant Technician

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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