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The differences between cable technicians and telecommunications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cable technician has an average salary of $47,289, which is higher than the $41,935 average annual salary of a telecommunications technician.
The top three skills for a cable technician include broadband, customer service and ladders. The most important skills for a telecommunications technician are broadband, customer service, and fiber optic cables.
| Cable Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,289 | $41,935 |
| Hourly rate | $22.74 | $20.16 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 120,249 | 70,494 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A cable technician is responsible for managing cable systems, installing cable equipment, upgrading network systems, and troubleshooting cable issues. Cable technicians' duties include replacing defective cabling, running diagnostic tests on newly-installed cable systems, inspecting cable towers and ground cables, providing cable instructions to the customer, responding to customer's cable inquiries and requests, and ensuring the safety of cable structures. A cable technician must have a strong understanding of electrical systems and cable technology, following the established procedures and environmental policies.
A telecommunications technician is responsible for maintaining the company's telecommunication networks, including communication systems and installation of internet lines and cables. Telecommunications technicians inspect the efficiency of the organization's communication networks, ensuring its optimal performance to support the business' operations. They also upgrade the systems, run diagnostic tests for newly installed cables, and create detailed reports of preventive maintenance processes for reference. A telecommunications technician must have excellent knowledge of the technological industry, including the end-users' and clients' needs to determine the best procedures to maintain the reliability of existing systems.
Cable technicians and telecommunications technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cable Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,289 | $41,935 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $64,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jackson, NJ | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Baker Hughes | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cable technician and a telecommunications technician in terms of educational background:
| Cable Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 39% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon |
Here are the differences between cable technicians' and telecommunications technicians' demographics:
| Cable Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |