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You want to make good money, have a flexible schedule, and an opportunity to grow…right? Getting into the fiber lineman industry is a great place to achieve all of those goals. You can make money based off of your skill, hard work, and understanding of the job. If you are want to know what lineman education requirements there are for fiber optic lineman I can give you the short answer- zero schooling or experience is necessary TO GET STARTED.
I started in this field as a groundhand that had zero knowledge of cable work. I didn’t even own a pair of boots. But over time I watched and learned and eventually was given an opportunity to work on the poles. That’s when the real learning actually happens. How to hold things just right so you can get that weaver on, or how to get your 10 foot coils right, etc.
The old saying, “it’s not what you know, but who you know” is very applicable in this industry. Almost every person I have worked with doing this fiber optic cable work was given this job opportunity by knowing someone else. One day I helped a guy out at the store and the next day he was offering me a job. It was a stroke of good luck, but also it came from me putting myself out there to help a stranger. Get out there and meet people and opportunities can happen.
What Schooling do you need to become a lineman?
In all honestly you don’t NEED any schooling to get started. You could take the path I did and start as a groundhand and learn while you get paid. Pay attention to the lineman and what they are doing. Then when you feel confident enough apply for a lineman job with your experience on the job. They will definitely consider you. I have met quite a few lineman that have very little prior experience.
Or you can go to a lineman school. You’ll get familiar with the job, spend a lot of money to get trained, and possibly meet some people that can lead to opportunities. This is not the route I recommend though. It can be expensive and being brand new you might hate it and quit. It happens to guys all the time- they pay a bunch of money, some even buy their own tools and gear, then they quit.
Most of the schooling available for lineman is power school, not fiber optics. There is some cross over from power to fiber, such as- climbing poles, drilling holes, working with hand tools. However, you can learn those things in a very short amount of time WITHOUT paying thousands of dollars.
If I was brand new again I would try both of these options to find a job:
- Call the project’s main office and ask for contractors phone numbers. I’d then call the contractors until I could land a job.
- I would call the main office or apply online for their in-house crews. A company like this- Ervin Cable Construction
Are Fiber Optic Lineman in demand?
Yes, fiber optic lineman are in demand. Every project I have been on they are always looking for more crews to get more production done before their deadlines. If you look at the fiber job listings online they will often say “in desperate need” or “experience would be a huge plus!”.
They inadvertently hire people with little to no experience, because they hire the contractor…not the crew that comes with him. So if the contractor is having a hard time keeping or finding good workers (lineman and groundhands) he is often in a desperate position and hires people with little to no experience. That being said some of the best lineman I have worked with have started with good work qualities, not experience.
If you have good work qualities- show up to work on time, have a good attitude, work hard, and want to be better, you’ll find a spot on a crew and grow into a quality lineman and better pay. It’s what happened to me and what I have seen happen to others. It’s not always bad to start a new job with no prior experience- being trained to a contractor’s liking is something that is in demand if that rookie comes with those good work qualities.
We all have to start somewhere, make mistakes, learn, and grow. This job allows you to do all that AND they need more of us fiber guys…and girls.
What’s the salary for a fiber optic lineman?
A fiber optic lineman salary can be understood from 2 different variables- contractors and in house lineman. If you look online you can find a lot of job opportunities ranging from $800-$2000 a week. Contracted lineman pay also varies. Some lineman are paid per day, some per week, some by percentage. When I started out I got paid per day, then I went to a percentage of the total amount of money made per week- 20%.
It’s typical for a contractor lineman to earn more. This is the case because these lineman aren’t provided medical insurance or any other benefits. Travel is a major part of this job and many contractors do not provide housing accommodations.
That being said I have seen many different agreements between lineman and the contractor. Sometimes the contractor will provide all the tools and pay housing for their crew. Other times the contractor doesn’t pay for anything, especially not paid vacation time.
In house lineman make less because they are offered medical and other health benefits, paid vacation & holiday time, 401k options, plus more. If you’re interested in that route you can check out some of Ervin Cable opportunities here.
What are the physical requirements for fiber optic lineman?
The physical requirements to be a fiber optic lineman include decent upper body strength, the ability to deal with hot and cold weather, jump in and out of a bucket, along with the strength to climb up poles. You don’t have to be a super lean and muscled up dude, but a decent in shape condition is desirable.
The upper body strength is for tightening nuts, spinning fiber reels, and most importantly passing the lasher. The lasher is tough for me sometimes and I would consider myself in pretty good shape. That being said I have worked with a lady lineman that probably weighs less than 130 pounds and she is tough enough to pass the lasher all day long.
One of the hardest things to deal with is the weather. Right now we are experiencing 100 degree days and many people struggle with it. The ability to work through that type of weather all summer is very important. The same is true for the cold winter months.
Unless you want to be a bucket baby, you need to be able to climb poles, even in those rough weather conditions. Climbing poles is definitely a workout, especially when you do it all day long, but it’s something that needs to be done from time to time.
You don’t see many lineman that are heavily overweight, and the ones that are, rarely climb poles. Make yourself marketable, a desirable asset, and someone that contractors and companies want to hire- be in decent shape.
Final Words
The education requirements for a fiber optic lineman are minimal and the money can be very respectable. Like many other industries you can get an entry level job and grow: groundhand< lineman< contractor. Being a fiber optics lineman is a great way to make a living and depending on your work ethic you can make even more money. It’s a great job if you like working outside, enjoy small crews of people, and enjoy traveling.
Are you curious about the essentials tools for a fiber optic lineman? Check out this article- Top 10 Tools Every Fiber Optic Lineman Should Have