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Central office equipment installer vs communications technician

The differences between central office equipment installers and communications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a communications technician has an average salary of $52,222, which is higher than the $48,855 average annual salary of a central office equipment installer.

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

Central office equipment installer vs communications technician overview

Central Office Equipment InstallerCommunications Technician
Yearly salary$48,855$52,222
Hourly rate$23.49$25.11
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs62,884125,698
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%Associate Degree, 35%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Central office equipment installer vs communications technician salary

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerCommunications Technician
Average salary$48,855$52,222
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $67,000Between $29,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City-Tualatin, OR
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Pacifi
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between central office equipment installer and communications technician education

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerCommunications Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%Associate Degree, 35%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonStanford University

Central office equipment installer vs communications technician demographics

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerCommunications Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
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, 13.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between central office equipment installer and communications 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

Communications technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain communications for users on FMC's IBM SNA network.
  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Complete installs and ensure that they are up to code base on current NEC, NESC, and OSHA regulations.
  • Install and configure Cisco routers.
  • Perform installations of Safeway POS systems.
  • Test cable lines and equipment to NEC standards.
  • Show more

Central office equipment installer vs communications technician skills

Common central office equipment installer skills
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • AC, 14%
  • Fiber Optic, 11%
  • Switches, 10%
  • Stitching, 8%
  • Rectifiers, 6%
Common communications technician skills
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Rehabilitation, 9%
  • Hand Tools, 9%
  • Fiber Optic, 9%
  • Patch Panels, 5%
  • Telephone Systems, 4%

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