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Central office equipment installer vs tower technician

The differences between central office equipment installers and tower 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 $37,471 average annual salary of a tower technician.

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

Central office equipment installer vs tower technician overview

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Yearly salary$48,855$37,471
Hourly rate$23.49$18.01
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs62,88492,566
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 41%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Central office equipment installer vs tower technician salary

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Average salary$48,855$37,471
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $67,000Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-SPX
Best paying industry-Construction

Differences between central office equipment installer and tower technician education

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 35%High School Diploma, 41%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonNew York University

Central office equipment installer vs tower technician demographics

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

Central Office Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.3% Female, 6.7%Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
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, 11.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between central office equipment installer and tower 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

Tower technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and make critical decisions in accordance with regulations for access and scheduling for certain private and federal FAA sites.
  • Hang and connect antenna's and TMA's.
  • Install grind rods and cad weld to form grind ring.
  • Complete several CPR and safety courses.
  • Remove old antennas and install new LTE antennas.
  • Get materials together, climb and rig towers.
  • Show more

Central office equipment installer vs tower technician skills

Common central office equipment installer skills
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • AC, 14%
  • Fiber Optic, 11%
  • Switches, 10%
  • Stitching, 8%
  • Rectifiers, 6%
Common tower technician skills
  • OSHA, 17%
  • CPR, 15%
  • RF, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • PIM, 4%

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