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Central office equipment installer vs telecommunications technician

The differences between central office equipment installers and telecommunications 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 $41,935 average annual salary of a telecommunications technician.

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

Central office equipment installer vs telecommunications technician overview

Central Office Equipment InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Yearly salary$48,855$41,935
Hourly rate$23.49$20.16
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs62,88470,494
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%Associate Degree, 35%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Central office equipment installer vs telecommunications technician salary

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Average salary$48,855$41,935
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $67,000Between $31,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Nebraska Public Power District
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between central office equipment installer and telecommunications technician education

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

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

Central office equipment installer vs telecommunications technician demographics

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%
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, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between central office equipment installer and telecommunications 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

Telecommunications technician example responsibilities.

  • Project complete while simultaneously managing VoIP project.
  • Install cable television, high-speed internet, routers, VOIP phone services, and data services to residential and commercial clients.
  • Provide technical and operational guidance and direction to the DoD customer in establishing and operating video teleconferencing systems.
  • Work with OSP to troubleshoot and repair faulty cable plant.
  • Terminate and install telecommunications cabling such as cat5E, fiber, and coaxial
  • Train call center personnel on use of CMS supervisor reports and agent monitoring.
  • Show more

Central office equipment installer vs telecommunications technician skills

Common central office equipment installer skills
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • AC, 14%
  • Fiber Optic, 11%
  • Switches, 10%
  • Stitching, 8%
  • Rectifiers, 6%
Common telecommunications technician skills
  • Broadband, 14%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Fiber Optic Cables, 6%
  • Telephone Systems, 5%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Telecommunication, 5%

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