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Communications equipment installer vs tower technician

The differences between communications equipment installers and tower technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a communications equipment installer has an average salary of $42,455, which is higher than the $37,471 average annual salary of a tower technician.

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

Communications equipment installer vs tower technician overview

Communications Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Yearly salary$42,455$37,471
Hourly rate$20.41$18.01
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs44,84292,566
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 40%High School Diploma, 41%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Communications equipment installer vs tower technician salary

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

Communications Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Average salary$42,455$37,471
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $49,000Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-SPX
Best paying industry-Construction

Differences between communications equipment installer and tower technician education

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

Communications Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 40%High School Diploma, 41%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonNew York University

Communications equipment installer vs tower technician demographics

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

Communications Equipment InstallerTower Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.4% Female, 6.6%Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.5% 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 communications equipment installer and tower technician duties and responsibilities

Communications equipment installer example responsibilities.

  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Perform troubleshooting and diagnosis PC Hardware/Software problem at residential and commercial customer.
  • Determine acceptability of video and data services by reviewing television picture quality and PC and modem connections following any work.
  • Provide rehabilitation to adults with severe/profound developmental disabilities.
  • Provide rehabilitation to adults with severe/profound developmental disabilities.

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

Communications equipment installer vs tower technician skills

Common communications equipment installer skills
  • Hand Tools, 19%
  • Fiber Optic, 15%
  • Ladders, 14%
  • Telecommunication, 9%
  • Patch Panels, 7%
  • Data Communications Equipment, 5%
Common tower technician skills
  • OSHA, 17%
  • CPR, 15%
  • RF, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • PIM, 4%

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