What does a cell technician do?

Cell tower technicians are responsible for maintaining cell phone towers and keeping them in good working condition. They make sure that cell phones are receiving signals all the time without any lag or problem and that customers always have full bars. Their duties include repairing and restoring old materials and equipment, assessing functionality, building, returning, and setting up new towers, as well as consistent servicing and maintenance. Technician applicants are required to have a degree in electronics telecommunications and undergo job and safety training.
Cell technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real cell technician resumes:
- 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.
- Install, troubleshoot, and configure PC, printers, routers., network LAN devices
- Assure system performance and integrity by performing sweep testing, PIM tests, DC power system configuration, grounding
- Work with voice cell infrastructures and telecommunications such as, CDMA data; T1, DACS, and OMP.
- Involve in T1 carrier adds and RF troubleshooting to bring RF frequencies on air, as part of mission to complete.
- Upgrade AWS, PCS, and LTE RRH technologies at cell sites.
- Install URC & EVM circuit cards implementing the EV-DO add on to the CDMA network.
- Deploy Cisco routers for Ethernet.
- Assist with troubleshooting BTS problems.
- Work in GMP and clinical settings.
- Deploy LTE service and build VoLTE network.
- Follow FDA policies, procedures and guidelines.
Cell technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Cell Technicians are proficient in Harvest, CIP, and Cell Culture. They’re also known for soft skills such as Technical skills, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Cell Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Harvest, 13%
Performed Automated and Manual CIP, SIP and Pressure Testing of Bioreactors and Harvest Vessels.
- CIP, 12%
Performed robotic processing, harvesting, CIP and SIP cleaning operations.
- Cell Culture, 12%
Developed parental cell lines and maintained cell culture in flasks, roller bottles and plates to express protein product.
- Continuous Improvement, 11%
Assisted in maintaining an atmosphere of continuous improvement.
- Transmitters, 9%
Calibrated instruments such as pressure/temperature/flow transmitters.
- Perform Routine Maintenance, 7%
Manage and perform routine maintenance on Lucent ECP/5ESS and Lucent TDMA PCS Mini Cells.
Common skills that a cell technician uses to do their job include "harvest," "cip," and "cell culture." You can find details on the most important cell technician responsibilities below.
Technical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a cell technician to have is technical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "biological technicians need to set up and operate sophisticated equipment and instruments." Cell technicians often use technical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "acted as the affiliate liaison to the sprint pcs technical staff. "
Analytical skills. Another essential skill to perform cell technician duties is analytical skills. Cell technicians responsibilities require that "biological technicians need to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision." Cell technicians also use analytical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "analyze network coverage to ensure contiguous communication and network integrity. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for cell technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how cell technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "biological technicians must understand and follow the instructions of their managing scientists." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a cell technician: "integrate network hardware and interconnect facilities by analyzing network coverage to ensure contiguous communication and network integrity. ".
The three companies that hire the most cell technicians are:
- TPI33 cell technicians jobs
- Parker Hannifin7 cell technicians jobs
- Eurofins4 cell technicians jobs
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Cell technician vs. Laboratory internship
A laboratory intern is responsible for assisting laboratory operations and perform examinations and experiments under the supervision of tenured laboratory staff. Laboratory interns shadow all the laboratory processes, document their observations, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the results. They must have excellent knowledge of scientific procedures, demonstrating their class learnings to practical applications. A laboratory intern must be detail-oriented, especially on conducting and verifying the accuracy of research materials. It is also required for a laboratory intern to be a fast-learner, understanding the scientific complexities to master various approaches.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between cell technicians and laboratory internship. For instance, cell technician responsibilities require skills such as "harvest," "cip," "continuous improvement," and "transmitters." Whereas a laboratory internship is skilled in "lab procedures," "chemistry," "python," and "c++." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Laboratory interns really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $48,851. Comparatively, cell technicians tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $88,909.On average, laboratory interns reach similar levels of education than cell technicians. Laboratory interns are 2.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Cell technician vs. Research fellow
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, cell technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "harvest," "cip," "continuous improvement," and "transmitters." Meanwhile, a research fellow has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "research projects," "data analysis," and "immunology." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Research fellows may earn a higher salary than cell technicians, but research fellows earn the most pay in the non profits industry with an average salary of $57,261. On the other hand, cell technicians receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $88,909.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research fellows tend to reach higher levels of education than cell technicians. In fact, they're 13.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cell technician vs. Microbiologist
Microbiologists are responsible for studying the microscopic organisms causing infections and environmental damage, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Their work focuses on the identification and growth of these microbes to better understand their characteristics that may help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and bacterial diseases. They use sophisticated technologies and machinery to study microbes and perform their tasks. These scientists are also responsible for developing best practices and techniques for routine sampling and research. Microbiologists may work in various settings, including laboratories, research institutes, and hospitals.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a cell technician is likely to be skilled in "harvest," "cip," "cell culture," and "continuous improvement," while a typical microbiologist is skilled in "lab equipment," "microbiology lab," "test methods," and "laboratory procedures."
Microbiologists earn the highest salary when working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they receive an average salary of $57,911. Comparatively, cell technicians have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $88,909.microbiologists typically earn higher educational levels compared to cell technicians. Specifically, they're 8.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cell technician vs. Biology laboratory assistant
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Types of cell technician
Updated January 8, 2025











