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Central office equipment installer vs cable technician

The differences between central office equipment installers and cable technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a central office equipment installer has an average salary of $48,855, which is higher than the $47,289 average annual salary of a cable technician.

The top three skills for a central office equipment installer include hand tools, AC and fiber optic. The most important skills for a cable technician are broadband, customer service, and ladders.

Central office equipment installer vs cable technician overview

Central Office Equipment InstallerCable Technician
Yearly salary$48,855$47,289
Hourly rate$23.49$22.74
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs62,884120,249
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 39%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Central office equipment installer vs cable technician salary

Central office equipment installers and cable technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Central Office Equipment InstallerCable Technician
Average salary$48,855$47,289
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $67,000Between $34,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City-Jackson, NJ
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Baker Hughes
Best paying industry-Media

Differences between central office equipment installer and cable technician education

There are a few differences between a central office equipment installer and a cable technician in terms of educational background:

Central Office Equipment InstallerCable Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 39%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonNew York University

Central office equipment installer vs cable technician demographics

Here are the differences between central office equipment installers' and cable technicians' demographics:

Central Office Equipment InstallerCable Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%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%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between central office equipment installer and cable technician duties and responsibilities

Central office equipment installer example responsibilities.

  • Install and maintain all special circuits, DS0 and DS1 levels.
  • Maintain local area network (LAN) to ensure smooth operations.
  • Install fiber multiplexers, carrier, Nortel and Ericsson switch and power.
  • Plan and implement migration of legacy telephone services to VoIP switching platforms.
  • Install DC power and grounding cabling inside the data center for TDM and Ethernet gear.
  • Test and turned-up DS0, DS1, SS7 trunks, PRI trunks, and data communication circuits.
  • Show more

Cable technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage projects wiring computer networks and phone systems, using Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and fiber optics.
  • Replace every existing cat-5 data and voice drop with cat-6 cabling and corresponding material.
  • Install cable boxes for cable and modems for computer Internet along with coax cable and CAT5 for phone lines.
  • Conduct on-site installations, correction and repair of clients' broadband service, equipment troubleshooting, and customer service and education
  • Climb ladders and gaff high utility poles to a height of approximately 25 feet, lifting and moving 80 pound ladders.
  • Install cat5 and cat6 for telecommunications
  • Show more

Central office equipment installer vs cable technician skills

Common central office equipment installer skills
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • AC, 14%
  • Fiber Optic, 11%
  • Switches, 10%
  • Stitching, 8%
  • Rectifiers, 6%
Common cable technician skills
  • Broadband, 10%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Ladders, 9%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Structured Cabling, 5%
  • TV, 5%

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