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TEKsystems

Level IV Central Office Installer - National Travel

Location

Chicago, IL

Wage

$35 – $40/hr

Employment Type

Contract

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Posted on September 10, 2026

Job Description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Lead Central Office (CO) Installation Technician IV to support large-scale telecommunications infrastructure deployments across the United States. This role is ideal for a senior-level installer with extensive experience in DWDM transport equipment installations, central office environments, and leading installation teams in the field.

Responsibilities

  • Lead installation teams on telecommunications equipment deployments in Central Office (CO), ILA, and transport network environments.
  • Install and commission DWDM transport equipment and associated infrastructure.
  • Install fiber optic cabling, fiber trough systems, ladder rack, cabinets, bays, and related hardware.
  • Perform lace and stitch cable management according to industry standards.
  • Conduct fiber cleaning, inspection, and testing activities.
  • Read and interpret engineering drawings, work instructions, and installation documentation.
  • Ensure installations are completed safely, accurately, and according to quality standards.
  • Support equipment testing, turn-up activities, and network integration efforts as required.
  • Provide day-to-day technical leadership and mentorship to installation team members.

Requirements

  • Extensive experience as a Central Office Installation Technician.
  • Previous experience leading installation efforts for DWDM optical transport equipment.
  • Strong understanding of long-haul transport network environments.
  • Experience installing fiber optic cabling, fiber trough systems, ladder rack, equipment cabinets and bays, and transport and optical networking equipment.
  • Experience with lace and stitch cable dressing methods.
  • Knowledge of fiber cleaning, inspection, and documentation best practices.
  • Ability to travel extensively nationwide.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • 100% nationwide travel required.
  • Airfare, hotel accommodations, rental vehicles, and approved travel expenses provided.
  • Travel schedules typically consist of multi-week deployments with periodic home time between assignments.
  • Primarily day-shift work with occasional off-hours or maintenance-window work.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
PTO
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Chicago, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $38/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Chicago, IL, whose middle half runs $27–$45/hr across 89 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 57% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Chicago, IL

We're tracking 108 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 59 different employers. 43 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 373 other active welding openings from 232 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chicago, or widen the search to Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are S&C Electric Company (18), Gerber Collision & Glass (14), and Staff on Site (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Downers Grove at $46/hr, Chicago at $36/hr, and Addison at $32/hr. Chicago is among them.

Similar openings near Chicago, IL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Level IV Central Office Installer - National Travel figures were last recalculated when this page was built.