Communication technicians are also referred to as telecommunications technicians. They supervise businesses' telecommunication networks such as internet telephone cable and some office equipment. As a communication technician, you are to utilize your expertise in electronics by diagnosing issues and repairing devices such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc. Also, you could be responsible for troubleshooting and engaging clients about the extent of malfunctions.

It is your duty to upgrade and maintain the company's current communications systems. You are also expected to evaluate client needs and install communication systems that meet these needs in the best way. Furthermore, you are to check all the wiring work done to make sure that there are no exposed cables for safety purposes. You are also to perform routine tests on telecommunication systems to make sure every component is functioning at optimal levels.

Employers lookout for candidates with at least a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree in business electrical engineering technology or electrical engineering. On a yearly basis, you should make an average salary of $48,155.

What Does a Communications Technician Do

There are certain skills that many communications technicians have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed color vision, customer-service skills and dexterity.

Learn more about what a Communications Technician does

How To Become a Communications Technician

If you're interested in becoming a communications technician, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 34.6% of communications technicians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 3.7% of communications technicians have master's degrees. Even though some communications technicians have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Communications Technician

Communications Technician Career Paths

Average Salary for a Communications Technician

Communications Technicians in America make an average salary of $52,222 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $91,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $29,000 per year.
Average Communications Technician Salary
$52,222 Yearly
$25.11 hourly

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Roles and Types of Communications Technician

The role of a communications technician includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general communications technician responsibilities:

  • The selected candidate will install and maintain fiber optics, cables, towers, antenna work, power plant, voice radio systems, telephone systems, inside
  • Assist in the installation, maintenance and repair of two-way fm radio transmitting
  • Install analog and digital voice and data telecommunications equipment including pbx systems, key systems,

There are several types of communications technician, including:

Technician

Role:

To be a technician, you have to know your stuff. Some may refer to you as an expert in your field or maybe people will know you as skilled in an art or craft. Then again, you may just be needed to look after technical equipment.

Your workload as a technician will vary, depending on what you're trained in. You may be needed to set up a new computer system or maybe you'll need to fix an electricity problem. Either way, you'll probably only need to work 40 hours a week.

The degree of education required for this job depends on what you're specific skillset is. Some technicians only need a high school diploma, others may want to complete an associate's program or earn a certificate to help their employment opportunities. There's definitely something for everyone in the field of technicians.

  • Average Salary: $38,045
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Service Technician

Role:

As a service technician, you'll be coming home with a lot of grease on your hands. Unless, of course, you wash your hands before leaving work. Guess where all that grease comes from. Vehicles! That's right, you'll be inspecting and repairing cars, left and right.

Generally, you'll be working in a well-ventilated, well-lit garage of some sort. You'll need to be familiar with automotive issues in a car's computer system, such as figuring out why the check engine light is on. And you'll probably need to know how to change a tire or change the oil. But we're not telling you how to do your job.

Instead of getting your training from us, you should complete a program from a postsecondary institution. Again, not telling you what to do but rather what employers like to see. Once you have the job, you may need to go a step further by becoming certified.

  • Average Salary: $40,379
  • Degree: Associate Degree

Field Service Technician

Role:

Field Service Technicians may be employed by a number of different industries and companies. Their general task is to inspect and troubleshoot issues with equipment on-site, in various facilities. They install, repair, and maintain equipment, advise customers on the correct use of machinery, and conduct testing of machines and implement improvements.

Field service technicians travel to client locations, responding to service requests. They support customers who have issues with technical equipment by identifying the problem and performing troubleshooting.

They are expected to build good relationships with customers, as they represent their company on location, so being friendly and patient is just as important for a successful field service technician as scoring high in mechanical aptitude.

  • Average Salary: $54,339
  • Degree: Associate Degree

States With The Most Communications Technician Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active communications technician jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where communications technicians earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Communications Technician Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California4,945$64,687
2Texas3,454$40,708
3Florida2,823$41,187
4New York2,673$57,112
5Georgia1,992$46,806
6Illinois1,954$59,567
7North Carolina1,953$53,282
8Virginia1,882$67,887
9Pennsylvania1,770$58,594
10Massachusetts1,569$60,337
11Ohio1,455$54,448
12New Jersey1,367$77,097
13Minnesota1,321$49,520
14Michigan1,261$51,096
15Colorado1,252$61,697
16Tennessee1,208$50,019
17Washington1,191$77,859
18Maryland1,166$64,304
19Missouri1,148$61,484
20Arizona1,083$48,679
21Iowa1,020$50,925
22Wisconsin949$48,098
23South Carolina905$48,142
24Oregon785$77,556
25Alabama681$47,800
26Connecticut656$72,444
27Utah655$45,928
28Oklahoma609$50,700
29Louisiana569$46,561
30Kentucky546$52,807
31Mississippi519$44,713
32Nebraska470$56,020
33Kansas466$54,532
34Nevada464$52,104
35Arkansas425$43,348
36Maine416$61,836
37New Mexico374$52,259
38New Hampshire303$65,460
39Delaware289$52,756
40West Virginia281$51,875
41Montana265$63,720
42Idaho265$61,886
43North Dakota247$66,301
44South Dakota217$66,646
45Vermont189$64,898
46Hawaii188$48,291
47Alaska184$75,294
48Rhode Island154$55,251
49Wyoming130$58,508
50Indiana0$52,502

Communications Technician Education

Communications Technician Majors

14.9 %

Communications Technician Degrees

Associate

34.6 %

Bachelors

34.6 %

High School Diploma

17.6 %

Top Colleges for Communications Technicians

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,940

Enrollment

4,169

5. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,238

Enrollment

2,120

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

Top Skills For a Communications Technician

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 9.2% of communications technicians listed customer service on their resume, but soft skills such as color vision and customer-service skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Communications Technician Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Communications Technician templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Communications Technician resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Communications Technician Resume

Communications Technician diversity

Communications Technician Gender Distribution

Male
Male
84%
Female
Female
16%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among communications technicians, 16.1% of them are women, while 83.9% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among communications technicians is White, which makes up 57.4% of all communications technicians.

  • The most common foreign language among communications technicians is Spanish at 57.4%.

Online Courses For Communications Technician That You May Like

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Best States For a Communications Technician

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a communications technician. The best states for people in this position are Washington, Oregon, New Jersey, and Alaska. Communications technicians make the most in Washington with an average salary of $77,859. Whereas in Oregon and New Jersey, they would average $77,556 and $77,097, respectively. While communications technicians would only make an average of $75,294 in Alaska, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Vermont

Total Communications Technician Jobs: 189
Highest 10% Earn:
$97,000
Location Quotient:
1.38

2. Oregon

Total Communications Technician Jobs: 785
Highest 10% Earn:
$110,000
Location Quotient:
1.06

3. South Dakota

Total Communications Technician Jobs: 217
Highest 10% Earn:
$98,000
Location Quotient:
1.14
Full List Of Best States For Communications Technicians

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Top Communications Technician Employers

Most Common Employers For Communications Technician

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1DXC Technology$66,991$32.2124
2Lucent$66,416$31.9348
3Motorola Solutions$65,280$31.3882
4Qwest$61,707$29.6754
5CSX$61,092$29.3734
6Accenture$58,911$28.3220
7City of New York$56,542$27.18131
8Pacific Bells$53,608$25.7730
9AT&T$49,598$23.85476
10IES$46,859$22.5354

Communications Technician Videos