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Sky-high salaries are drawing new attention to one of the country’s most overlooked blue-collar jobs, and demand is surging for workers willing to scale America’s communications infrastructure.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr and FOX Business’ Darren Botelho joined Stuart Varney in a FOX Business exclusive on “Varney & Co.” from atop a 2,000-foot broadcast tower in North Carolina, highlighting the workforce behind the nation’s expanding connectivity buildout and pointing to a growing need for skilled tower climbers as new projects ramp up nationwide.
The climb is part of FCC’s Build America Agenda launched in July 2025, which focuses on workforce development and easing barriers to infrastructure expansion. Carr has made similar climbs in Alabama and South Dakota, using the extreme heights to highlight what he has described as some of the toughest jobs in the country.
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Suspended high above the ground, Carr emphasized that while the work often goes unseen, it is critical to keeping Americans connected across both urban and rural communities.
“It is fun. I like the work these tower crews do,” Carr said.
He also underscored the critical role these crews play in keeping Americans connected.
“Most people, when they turn on their phone or their TV, they think it works on magic or pixie dust. It’s the hard work of these crews,” Carr said.
The push to expand wireless networks and next-generation systems is accelerating demand, creating opportunities for workers without traditional four-year degrees to step into high-paying roles.
“These are good wages, and you can easily get over $100,000 once you start working on some of these big crews,” Carr said.
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With infrastructure projects expanding, Carr signaled that these roles are likely to remain in high demand as the industry continues to grow.
