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Central office equipment installer vs tower climber

The differences between central office equipment installers and tower climbers 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 $41,248 average annual salary of a tower climber.

The top three skills for a central office equipment installer include hand tools, AC and fiber optic. The most important skills for a tower climber are CPR, RF, and OSHA.

Central office equipment installer vs tower climber overview

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Climber
Yearly salary$48,855$41,248
Hourly rate$23.49$19.83
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs62,88418,165
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 49%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Central office equipment installer vs tower climber salary

Central office equipment installers and tower climbers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Climber
Average salary$48,855$41,248
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $67,000Between $28,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City-Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-General Dynamics Mission Systems
Best paying industry-Telecommunication

Differences between central office equipment installer and tower climber education

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Climber
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 49%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonNew York University

Central office equipment installer vs tower climber demographics

Here are the differences between central office equipment installers' and tower climbers' demographics:

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Climber
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between central office equipment installer and tower climber 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

Tower climber example responsibilities.

  • Utilize Anritsu site master in conducting tests on sites while accomplishing tasks including lighting upgrades and troubleshooting of light systems
  • Provide multiple PIM and sweep testing troubleshooting and also change transmission lines, antennas and weatherproofing.
  • Lead a crew that build RF broadcast tower's around the state.
  • Certify climber cpr and rescuer of cell towers.
  • Climb towers to install many different RF components.
  • Perform sweep tests and PIM tests on antennas.
  • Show more

Central office equipment installer vs tower climber skills

Common central office equipment installer skills
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • AC, 14%
  • Fiber Optic, 11%
  • Switches, 10%
  • Stitching, 8%
  • Rectifiers, 6%
Common tower climber skills
  • CPR, 31%
  • RF, 29%
  • OSHA, 27%
  • Broadband, 8%
  • Safety Equipment, 1%
  • Communication Towers, 1%

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