Data communications technician vs communications technician

The differences between data communications technicians and communications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a communications technician has an average salary of $52,222, which is higher than the $51,843 average annual salary of a data communications technician.

The top three skills for a data communications technician include POS, computer screens and RF. The most important skills for a communications technician are customer service, rehabilitation, and hand tools.

Data communications technician vs communications technician overview

	Data Communications Technician	Communications Technician
Yearly salary	$51,843	$52,222
Hourly rate	$24.92	$25.11
Growth rate	7%	8%
Number of jobs	111,703	125,698
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Associate Degree, 35%
Average age	38	45
Years of experience	12	-

Data communications technician vs communications technician salary

Data communications technicians and communications technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Communications Technician	Communications Technician
Average salary	$51,843	$52,222
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $82,000	Between $29,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	-	Tualatin, OR
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Pacifi
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between data communications technician and communications technician education

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

	Data Communications Technician	Communications Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Associate Degree, 35%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northeastern University	Stanford University

Data communications technician vs communications technician demographics

Here are the differences between data communications technicians' and communications technicians' demographics:

	Data Communications Technician	Communications Technician
Average age	38	45
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between data communications technician and communications technician duties and responsibilities

Data communications technician example responsibilities.

Manage DSL service to remote users through NAS.
Manage the day-to-day operations of telecommunication services utilize by DuPont.
Run cable, terminate cat5, cat6 and voice cable.
Install and label network cabling from cat5e, Cat6, fiber cable, and coaxial cabling (DS3).
Introduce BGP for connectivity to the corporate network.
Wire pots lines and T1 lines to main distribution frame.

Communications technician example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain communications for users on FMC's IBM SNA network.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Complete installs and ensure that they are up to code base on current NEC, NESC, and OSHA regulations.
Install and configure Cisco routers.
Perform installations of Safeway POS systems.
Test cable lines and equipment to NEC standards.

Data communications technician vs communications technician skills

Common data communications technician skills

POS, 12%
Computer Screens, 12%
RF, 11%
Test Equipment, 10%
Phone System, 10%
Technical Manuals, 9%

Common communications technician skills

Customer Service, 9%
Rehabilitation, 9%
Hand Tools, 9%
Fiber Optic, 9%
Patch Panels, 5%
Telephone Systems, 4%

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Data Communications Technician
Data Communications Technician vs Communications Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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