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Communications technician lead vs telecom technician

The differences between communications technician leads and telecom technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a communications technician lead has an average salary of $113,656, which is higher than the $54,352 average annual salary of a telecom technician.

The top three skills for a communications technician lead include troubleshoot, hand tools and communications plan. The most important skills for a telecom technician are fiber optic cables, voip, and switches.

Communications technician lead vs telecom technician overview

Communications Technician LeadTelecom Technician
Yearly salary$113,656$54,352
Hourly rate$54.64$26.13
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs111,154111,865
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Associate Degree, 40%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

What does a communications technician lead do?

The job of a communications technician lead is to install, maintain, and service various telephone equipment. Communications technician leads install both data and voice communication circuits and limited video transmission aspects. These leads utilize specialized telecommunication tools and hand tools during equipment installation. They collaborate with a certain team to troubleshoot issues associated with cables and communications. The professionals need to acquire extensive knowledge in the use of technical publications, schematics, diagrams, and troubleshooting.

What does a telecom technician do?

A telecom technician is responsible for overseeing and maintaining telecommunication systems. They are usually in charge of planning and conceptualizing systems, performing installations and adjustments, troubleshooting problems, and conducting repairs. Through extensive research and analysis, they also develop and implement test structures that ensure the safety and efficiency of systems, create strategies to optimize workflow, and implement solutions against areas needing improvement. Moreover, aside from providing technical support, a telecom technician may also establish guidelines and recommend technical practices.

Communications technician lead vs telecom technician salary

Communications technician leads and telecom technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Communications Technician LeadTelecom Technician
Average salary$113,656$54,352
Salary rangeBetween $78,000 And $165,000Between $33,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between communications technician lead and telecom technician education

There are a few differences between a communications technician lead and a telecom technician in terms of educational background:

Communications Technician LeadTelecom Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Associate Degree, 40%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeStanford UniversityInter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Communications technician lead vs telecom technician demographics

Here are the differences between communications technician leads' and telecom technicians' demographics:

Communications Technician LeadTelecom Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 85.9% Female, 14.1%Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between communications technician lead and telecom technician duties and responsibilities

Communications technician lead example responsibilities.

  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Train soldiers on the procedures for secure radio and PC communications.
  • Assist in design and installation of this business's LAN system, expand network for VoIP, and wireless access points.
  • Conduct analysis in determining business process improvements for corporate telecommunication infrastructure.
  • Assist with and refer troubles on DS3 and OC3 level issues to fiber technicians.
  • Perform as liaison with Verizon for installation of T1s, DS3 circuits, and respond to requests for proposals.
  • Show more

Telecom technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and report on SLA's and work with vendors for any corrections or necessary actions.
  • Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
  • Pull CAT5e, CAT6, coax cable, install patch panels and connect network devices including routers and switches.
  • Work with passive equipment such as: RF cable, connectors, twist pair cable, CAT5 and CAT6.
  • Create new, augmenting, or deleting trunks in the Nortel DMS switch.
  • Install and repair coax cable, CatV, and fiber optic and copper lines.
  • Show more

Communications technician lead vs telecom technician skills

Common communications technician lead skills
  • Troubleshoot, 37%
  • Hand Tools, 34%
  • Communications Plan, 8%
  • RF, 3%
  • Technical Support, 2%
  • Test Equipment, 2%
Common telecom technician skills
  • Fiber Optic Cables, 7%
  • VoIP, 7%
  • Switches, 6%
  • IP, 6%
  • Ladders, 5%
  • Technical Support, 5%

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