Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Telecommunications Tech Salary in Pittsburgh
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Electrical · COL Index: 92
Telecommunications Techs in Pittsburgh, PA earn a median annual wage of $66,780 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $45,310 and the 90th at $97,950. After cost of living, that translates to $72,587 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (60/100).
What Telecommunications Techs Take Home in Pittsburgh
The $52,640 spread between entry-level and top-decile telecommunications techs in Pittsburgh is around 79% of the median — a typical range for skilled trades. Workers can roughly double their entry pay through a combination of experience, certifications, union membership, and moving from helper to journeyman to foreman roles.
Pittsburgh's cost-of-living index of 92 sits below the U.S. average, so the $66,780 median wage for telecommunications techs here actually translates upward — to roughly $72,587 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Below-average rent, groceries, and services mean wages tend to go further here than nominal numbers suggest.
With a Trade Pay Score of 60 (C), telecommunications techs in Pittsburgh are mid-tier — neither standout strong nor materially weak. The combination earns a reasonable nominal wage but is dragged down by either flatter wage growth, a higher cost of living that erodes purchasing power, or thinner employment depth. Workers should compare the per-trade pages to see if a different metro improves the grade.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $45,310 | $49,250 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $57,560 | $62,565 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $66,780 | $72,587 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $82,480 | $89,652 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $97,950 | $106,467 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for telecommunications techs, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Pittsburgh are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Telecommunications Tech make in Pittsburgh?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median telecommunications tech salary in Pittsburgh, PA is $66,780. The 10th percentile is $45,310 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $97,950 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Pittsburgh pay compare for Telecommunications Techs?
With a Trade Pay Score of 60/100 and a grade of C, the Pittsburgh-Telecommunications Tech pairing is a mid-tier combination that is neither standout strong nor materially weak.
What is the apprenticeship path for Telecommunications Techs in Pittsburgh?
Telecommunications Techs typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($45,310) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Telecommunications Tech pay in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a cost-of-living index of 92. The median telecommunications tech salary of $66,780 translates to $72,587 in U.S.-average purchasing power — an upward adjustment because the metro is less expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Telecommunications Techs in Pittsburgh, PA earn a median annual wage of $66,780 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $45,310 and the 90th at $97,950. After cost of living, that translates to $72,587 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (60/100).
The this entity record above pulls directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. skilled-trade wage data distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. trades, cities, and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.