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Cell site technician vs radio frequency technician

The differences between cell site technicians and radio frequency technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cell site technician has an average salary of $67,609, which is higher than the $47,568 average annual salary of a radio frequency technician.

The top three skills for a cell site technician include RF, antenna systems and T1. The most important skills for a radio frequency technician are test equipment, troubleshoot, and power meters.

Cell site technician vs radio frequency technician overview

Cell Site TechnicianRadio Frequency Technician
Yearly salary$67,609$47,568
Hourly rate$32.50$22.87
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs32,0993,626
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 49%Associate Degree, 49%
Average age4545
Years of experience-4

Cell site technician vs radio frequency technician salary

Cell site technicians and radio frequency technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Cell Site TechnicianRadio Frequency Technician
Average salary$67,609$47,568
Salary rangeBetween $45,000 And $100,000Between $34,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City-Fremont, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Meta
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between cell site technician and radio frequency technician education

There are a few differences between a cell site technician and a radio frequency technician in terms of educational background:

Cell Site TechnicianRadio Frequency Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 49%Associate Degree, 49%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonInter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Cell site technician vs radio frequency technician demographics

Here are the differences between cell site technicians' and radio frequency technicians' demographics:

Cell Site TechnicianRadio Frequency Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.9% Female, 6.1%Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.3% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between cell site technician and radio frequency technician duties and responsibilities

Cell site technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage LAN as an administrator for NATO HQ network.
  • Commission and troubleshot LTE, GSM, UMTS cellular systems.
  • Receive several weeks of Ericsson vendor training in Richardson, TX.
  • Coordinate with LEC's and wireless partners to build translations and turn up trunks.
  • Work closely with FCC and FAA guidelines to insure proper installation and amplification output limits.
  • Provide support to Nokia's development team for design and manufacturing faults on their handsets.
  • Show more

Radio frequency technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, configure, upgrade, and manage Cisco routers and switches daily.
  • Process improvement efforts and/or other opportunities to automate these processes with computer applications with C++ and/or Java where applicable.
  • Install Nortel CDMA equipment throughout Kansas.
  • Maintain and repair Nortel TDMA equipment.
  • Install and maintain GSM and UMTS equipment.
  • Repair stocked or customer-own Motorola, Samsung, Nokia and other cellular brand equipment.
  • Show more

Cell site technician vs radio frequency technician skills

Common cell site technician skills
  • RF, 11%
  • Antenna Systems, 7%
  • T1, 6%
  • Fiber Optic, 6%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
  • Battery, 3%
Common radio frequency technician skills
  • Test Equipment, 11%
  • Troubleshoot, 10%
  • Power Meters, 5%
  • RF Gun, 5%
  • Microwave, 5%
  • Test Procedures, 4%

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