How To Become A Cell Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cell technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Cell technicians are responsible for maintaining cell phone towers and keeping them in good working condition. They do this primarily by repairing and replacing old materials and equipment, and they are also responsible for building new towers and testing their functionality. They pay close attention to the condition of towers to determine if any structural repairs are needed and take action accordingly. Cell technicians earn an average salary of $50,000 annually or $24 per hour.

Cell technicians primarily ensure that cell phones receive signals without delay or interruption. They do this by performing their duties diligently and swiftly. Cell technicians are in high demand, and they have to climb the towers to do their job. Thus, they must be physically fit and have no fear of heights. They also work at odd hours and in all kinds of weather, including wind, snow, and extreme temperatures.

For basic cell technician positions, formal training is not always required. However, some employers expect candidates to have a high school diploma or GED. For more advanced roles, holding a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a similar role and some years of experience as a technician are mostly required.

ScoreCell TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,227

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.19%

Asian 12.74%

Black or African American 12.48%

Hispanic or Latino 14.04%

Unknown 5.88%

White 52.65%

Gender

female 23.73%

male 76.27%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cell technician

Explore cell technician education requirements

Most common cell technician degrees

Bachelor's

42.4 %

Associate

27.8 %

High School Diploma

15.2 %

Start to develop specific cell technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Harvest	13.48%
CIP	11.56%
Cell Culture	11.55%
Continuous Improvement	11.06%
Transmitters	8.81%

Complete relevant cell technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cell technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cell technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cell technician resumes.

Research cell technician duties and responsibilities

Lead initiatives to migrate customers to VPN and remote access systems.
Install, maintain, repair and service PC's, servers, POS systems.
Maintain all base stations, transmitter equipment (GSM, UMTS, DAS, & LTE).
Remove and replace boost pumps, check valves, plumbing, and braces.

Prepare your cell technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cell technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a cell technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable cell technician resume templates

Build a professional cell technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your cell technician resume.