How to hire a central office technician

How to hire a central office technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step central office technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a central office technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new central office technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the central office technician you need to hire. Certain central office technician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a central office technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a central office technician that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of central office technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Central Office Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Central Office Technician	Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, also known as telecom technicians, set up and maintain devices or equipment that carry communications signals, connect to telephone lines, and access the Internet.	$11-30
   Tower Hand	A tower hand is a professional who climbs towers or poles to install, repair, and perform routine maintenance on electrical equipment. Tower hands are required to climb up very tall structures to perform maintenance on equipment such as power lines, cell tower components, or radio antenna equipment... Show more	$12-28
   Cable Installer	A cable installer installs and maintains telecommunication systems and equipment such as telephone lines, cable television, or internet services at homes or commercial areas. In some companies, a cable installer may also handle complaints and concerns, conduct inspections, troubleshoot problems, and fix or replace components when necessary... Show more	$16-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Fiber Optic Cables
   • Switches
   • T1
   • Provisioning
   • DS3
   • IP
   • Trouble Tickets
   • Analog
   • AC
   • Test Equipment
   • SONET
   • DSL
   • Ethernet
   • Routine Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assigned Ericsson AXE patch upgrades and retrofits for all AXE sites.
   • Assist in managing CDMA network, Voice/EVDO circuit's layouts, CDM circuit inventory and roll over's for cell sites.
   • Install all Nortel DMS series equipment.
   • Operate power-meters, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, and various RF test equipment.
   • Install and troubleshoot telecommunications circuits and devices including legacy, asynchronous, SONET, and Ethernet equipment.
   • Associate duties include running cable, lacing, stitching, wire wrapping, mounting bays, etc.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your central office technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A central office technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, central office technicians' average salary in alabama is 52% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level central office technicians earn 62% less than senior-level central office technicians.
   • Certifications. A central office technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a central office technician's salary.

   Average central office technician salary

   $39,043yearly

   $18.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level central office technician salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a central office technician job description

   A good central office technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a central office technician job description:

   Central office technician job description example

   • Must have working knowledge of all equipment, test gear and associated items.
   • Able to read and interpret schematics and circuit diagrams. Must be able to use voltmeters and test equipment.
   • Requires knowledge of soft switching technology (MetaSwitch), testing methods, central office protection practices, SONET systems, fiber optic systems, subscriber and truck carrier systems, digital loop carrier, digital cross connects, SS7, class features, and DWDM systems.
   • Requires knowledge of Ethernet and IP related network systems.
   • Have familiarity to the TCP and OSI models.
   • Knowledge of special circuits is helpful.
   • Must have a thorough knowledge of computers.
   • Will be expected to learn new technologies as they are introduced into the industry.
   • Able to work in a team environment and interface with other departments in a positive/productive manner.

   
   

   Education/Experience

   • Must have at least three to five years experience in this environment.
   • Associates or Bachelor’s degree in electronics a plus.
   • Understanding of network architectures desirable.

   
   

   Physical Demands

   • Sits, stands, walks during working day.
   • Climbs ladders, stoops, reaches, handles lifts.
   • Must have visual capacity for close exacting work.
   • May be called upon to work in any kind of weather.
   • Cannot be color blind.
   • Some exposure to electrical shock.
   • Works with set batteries with possible exposure to acid and acid fumes.
   • Wears all employee safety devices as required.

   
   

   Special Demands

   • Able to accept responsibility for, and work under, occasional stress situations.
   • Memory for and attention to numerous details.
   • Able to maintain work flow, prevent bottlenecks and prevent hazards.
   • Able to work closely with other people.
   • Works under supervision
   • Hours scheduled.

   
   

   Additional Information

   This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. An employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required. Nemont reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right central office technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your central office technician job on Zippia to find and recruit central office technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting central office technicians requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new central office technician

   Once you have selected a candidate for the central office technician position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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