A tidal wave of funding is about to pour into building new internet infrastructure, with billions set aside to connect underserved communities across the U.S. — and it’s set to create a surge of steady, solid-paying jobs.
Through the Broadband Equity and Access Deployment (BEAD) program, over $42 billion is being put forward to construct and deploy these networks across the country, targeting underserved and rural communities with limited- or no access to sufficient internet connection.
Florida alone plans to connect over 274,000 locations across the state, introducing 20,000 new jobs, according to Florida Commerce’s Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research.
Most of these roles are more than just jobs to get by, both in terms of wages and prospect for growth. According to Employ Florida, the average annual wage within the state for the entire telecommunications industry is $92,196. In wired and wireless telecom specifically, it's $89,128 — both significantly higher than reported statewide median incomes.
And the Bureau’s projections for 2024-2032 suggest that the demand isn’t going anywhere — many of these roles have the pay and stability of traditional trades despite being lesser known professions. Here are the top 10 jobs in the broadband industry hiring in the state of Florida:
1. Broadband Technician
Broadband technicians are the backbone of the internet infrastructure workforce.
Broadly speaking, these techs work on the installation, maintenance and repair of internet communication systems. Their primary focus is ensuring that these systems and the supporting equipment can facilitate high-speed internet connection.
Along with laying and installing new connections, technicians also work with existing networks, running diagnostics to troubleshoot issues, perform fixes and maintenance on those systems.
While as a broadband technician, you’ll likely work with older coax equipment, the direction of the industry — and particularly within this role — is fiber-optic equipment.
Before scrolling on, if 'broadband technician' and 'fiber optics' sound too complicated or out of reach, they're not — this role isn’t as technical as it might seem. Many current techs have shared that they came in with no experience in the industry or technical fields and learned the ropes (or cables) quickly.
"Yeah, you will get dirty, but it’s really not that hard... the job really is not hard," said premise technician Britni Cuington in an interview with Broadband Nation.
The role of a technician also very broadly encompasses several different focuses and specialties. Premise techs, for instance, may work directly with homes and businesses to help run cabling and install equipment like internet routers. Fiber splicers (see below), focus on fusing the fiber-optic cables together that keep the connection flowing. Aerial linemen run communication lines on overhead networks like utility poles. The options are as vast as the cities and towns that rely on them.
Currently, the mean annual wage for a telecom equipment technician in Florida is $61,511. Explore wages across Florida counties here and enter the job code 49-2022 (Equipment Repairers and Installers) or 49-9052 (Line Installers and Repairers).
2. Customer Service Representative
In Florida, there are a lot of customer service representative openings right now. And while many of these broadband jobs don’t require degrees, customer service may be the easiest of them all to get started in.
As a simple overview, these reps help customers with everything from billing and account questions to basic issues with their home internet.
While it doesn’t require any intense training, the role does often act as first-level troubleshooting for customer network issues — which means it’s important to understand the technology you’re working with.
Luckily, the technology you’d typically work with doesn’t often cause many issues. Broadband support rep Ginger Lane told us in an interview that fiber-optic internet often makes for easy resolves and happy customers — a big changeup from the typical call-center experience.
“Even though I’m troubleshooting, 95% of the time, I’m like, ‘Have you tried rebooting the modem?’” she explained laughing. “It is such a great product... Ninety-nine percent of the time, they just leave really happy." That makes Lane's work life a lot better. “I used to literally dread going to work every day,” reflected Lane. “It was just a fight to go to work. And now, I like it. I like my job, which is huge.”
And with so many roles open within the industry, there’s nowhere to go but up. The skills learned and connections made in this job often open doors to other roles and bigger pay.
Explore wages across your counties here and enter the job code 43-4051.
3. Fiber Splicer
Across the many avenues a broadband tech can take, fiber splicing is a strong one — it’s a precise craft and ticket to steady work in a world that runs on connection.
Splicers primarily focus on fusing together the tiny strands within fiber-optic cables. These networks are the spinal structure that makes the online world — from telehealth to remote work — possible in the first place.
While it does require meticulous alignment of optical strands and a strong attention to detail, it’s still a skill that someone can pick up without a college degree.
Take it from Adam Roy, who didn’t even know what fiber was when he decided to get into the industry eight years ago. Today, he runs his own splicing subcontracting company with his wife, enabling the whole family to live in a mobile camper full time. They migrate with the weather and work — free from a nine-to-five grind.
“I spend more time with my family than I ever imagined making a steady paycheck,” Roy told Broadband Nation. “And to be honest, the money is just life changing.”
Splicers on average make $91,105 per year, according to Glassdoor (last updated in June of 2024), with $69,305 in salary and $21,800 per year in additional pay (such as bonuses or commission).
While splicing doesn’t have its own job code classification (often falling under the same category as broadband techs), it remains a lucrative specialty in the state of Florida. For example, the average annual salary for a splicer in Jacksonville is $76,298.
4. Network Technician
While field techs tend to the physical bone structure of the internet, network technicians work with the brain of the broadband network. The role gives you a chance to see networks from the "inside out," as one network tech Marcus Chambers described it.
Not only will network techs help support folks in the field with troubleshooting and diagnostics (often remotely), they also install and configure networking equipment in data centers, central offices and other more complex network environments.
Much like broadband techs, network technicians can be focused on a lot of different areas of the network — from installation to security. Information security analysts, for example, will be the industry's highest growing role in Florida as forecasted by the state’s Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research.
While these roles are the most likely to prefer a degree when applying, it’s not always a requirement. One in six network engineers do not have a college degree as reported by research from Zippia. Blending customer service and network technical skills, working as a computer user support specialist is one common role not requiring a degree. It’s also currently in high demand and forecasted to grow in Florida.
Rather than a degree, employers may look for certifications like CompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA or Broadband Premises Installer (BPI). Particularly within the broadband industry, showing sector-specific knowledge or skills, customer service experience and willingness to learn will likely carry much more weight than a diploma.
The average yearly pay for being a network technician in the United States reported by Glassdoor is $73,239 per year, but established companies frequently offer six-figure wages. Cisco, for instance, has a median total pay of $124,000 for the role.
Explore wages across your counties here, and enter the job code 15-1212 (Security Analysts), 15-1212 (Computer Systems Analysts) or 15-1232 (computer support specialist).
5. Broadband Construction
The first focal point to BEAD’s actual deployment will be construction. That means 2025 and the next few years will be a particularly good time to get into the area.
From digging trenches and laying conduit to setting utility poles and operating heavy equipment (see below), the role is not all that different to broader construction labor jobs.
It can actually be easier, according to Scott Connelly from Primoris Construction. “It’s technically less challenging than a lot of other areas of construction,” he told us. “If you can dig a ditch and put pipe in the ground, you can definitely work in broadband.”
Like customer service, this is a great place to earn while learning the specs of the industry, and moving up can mean a lot of money. Construction managers (see below) are in high demand and typically make over six figures.
And like many jobs within this sector, it’s going to be around for a long time, as construction veteran Aaron Witt described to Broadband Nation.
“At the end of the day, it's all physical infrastructure that needs to be put there, needs to be maintained, needs to be upgraded,” he said. “And we need people to do that now and forever, as far as I'm concerned.”
Explore wages across your counties here and enter the job code 47-2061.
6. Construction Manager
While you may be more likely to look for entry-level positions (see above) before this one, considering how quickly you can ascend to bigger roles in the broadband industry, this is a good direction to consider.
Construction managers keep the build on track — managing crews, handling budgets and making sure everything goes where it needs to, on time and up to code.
Managers have a lot on their plate — from crew safety to construction plans and timelines — so they are paid well. In Florida, the median pay for a construction manager is $102,940.
While a related degree is often a factor in the hiring process, particularly when a candidate has little experience, the pathway to the role through the industry is an option. Especially when some employers offer internal or partnered training programs or tuition assistance to advance into roles like these.
Construction managers are in high demand right now, and that will only grow over the next several years — both in Florida and nationally.
Explore wages across your counties here and enter the job code 11-9021.
7. First-line Supervisor
For folks looking to climb more than just the ladders in the field, this role is often a solid step up. First-line supervisors are the bridge between field crews and upper management.
Within broadband, that can mean anything from a construction foreman to a line crew supervisor. They help maintain smooth operations, safety compliance and support both clients and field teams.
The on-the-job experience gained from an entry-level job in the field is the underpinning groundwork that makes a good supervisor, along with the aptitude to learn and lead.
Having a solid grasp on the technical work is of course a key attribute, but knowing how to get along with your crews and look after their wellbeing — physically and mentally — goes a long way.
When Broadband Nation traveled across Florida to speak with crews on the ground, many spoke to how quickly you can work your way up in this industry. And the high number of openings for this role across the state only reinforce that the job is open for those who want to move up.
The mean wage for the role across Florida is currently $72,536, according to Florida Insight, with the 90th percentile earning close to and over six figures.
Explore wages across your counties here and enter the job code 47-1011 or 49-1011.
8. Heavy Trailer Truck/Tractor Driver
Before the conduits are laid, the fiber is spliced or a new network is lit up, someone has to bring the materials that make it all happen. That’s typically hauled on large utility trucks and tractor-trailers — both of which need skilled drivers.
It’s a job that moves broadband — literally. From spools of fiber to utility poles, and the heavy machinery that digs trenches (see below), these heavy truck drivers help bring the necessary equipment for construction and deployment of internet infrastructure.
A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is the job’s main requirement. While that is its own training process, many employers — especially in broadband — will offer reimbursement or sponsorship for new hires to get trained up and ready to go in this field. That's especially true when nearly 30,000 of these jobs were posted in Florida through 2024 alone.
The mean wage across Florida is currently $52,751, with higher earners making over $72k. Explore wages across your counties here and enter the job code 53-3032.
9. Tower Technician
As below, so above — just as broadband technicians work on infrastructure running underground, on utility poles or in homes, tower technicians service the wireless infrastructure hundreds of feet in the air.
From 100 to over 2,000 feet, tower climbers scale everything from monopoles to massive, guyed towers, ensuring signals reach communities near and far. They mount antennas, install radios, run cables and more — servicing the connective components of the tower.
Safety is a critical part of all broadband trades and construction work, but extra training and care must be taken when working at such great heights.
Rather than a college degree, some common ways to get trained up is to enroll in a Telecom Tower Technician I (TTT1) or Tower Climber I (TCT) training program of at least 250 hours.
These may be found through online courses, vocational or school programs as well as entry-level positions offering their own (or partnered) training. Certification exams may be done through bodies like the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) or the ANSI-accredited National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA).
Florida’s mean wage for the role is $63,438 per year, though it can vary a lot depending on factors like work demand, overtime pay and the company you work for. And like a lot of roles in this industry, promotions to higher paying positions don’t take long for folks who seek them out.
Explore wages across your counties here and enter the job code 49-2021.
10. Heavy Equipment Operator
On the beds of the trucks and trailers (see above) is yet another layer of heavy equipment to make internet deployment possible. That’s where heavy equipment operators come in.
From directional drills to trenching, there are a lot of different machines required to deploy conduit and fiber optics lines throughout the country. Depending on the employer and type of equipment, training can range from on-the-job shadowing to formal certification programs.
Those trainings may be geared towards safety through OSHA or through sponsorships with accredited bodies like Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).
Competent skill and safety in the role are essential, especially when digging underground where sewer and water lines can be ruptured.
Major mistakes can sometimes cost millions to cities, companies and nearby communities — not to mention the safety risks. So being well trained is crucial, and the best employers will invest in your development.
For Aaron Witt, heavy machinery is what attracted him to the construction industry in the first place, but what kept him around was the people. “There's this humility with hard-working people that's hard to find elsewhere in society that I really fell in love with,” said Witt.
“I think the trades have what corporate America doesn't, and that is a fantastic camaraderie that's nonstop problem solving, that's the ability to see the result of your hard work every day, and it's inherently human."