Data communications technician vs hydrographer

The differences between data communications technicians and hydrographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a data communications technician and a hydrographer. Additionally, a hydrographer has an average salary of $52,359, 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 hydrographer are GPS, GIS, and data analysis.

Data communications technician vs hydrographer overview

	Data Communications Technician	Hydrographer
Yearly salary	$51,843	$52,359
Hourly rate	$24.92	$25.17
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	111,703	1,439
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	12	12

Data communications technician vs hydrographer salary

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

	Data Communications Technician	Hydrographer
Average salary	$51,843	$52,359
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $82,000	Between $32,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	Dartmouth, MA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Santa Clara Valley Water District
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between data communications technician and hydrographer education

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

	Data Communications Technician	Hydrographer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Geology
Most common college	Northeastern University	Johns Hopkins University

Data communications technician vs hydrographer demographics

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

	Data Communications Technician	Hydrographer
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 72.2% Female, 27.8%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.4% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between data communications technician and hydrographer 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.

Hydrographer example responsibilities.

Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Provide technical expertise in GIS and remote sensing software, hardware, data analysis & mapping
Train personnel to improve ADCP measurements.
Present to inter-agency climate change work group.
Assist in the planning and mobilization of lidar and marine sensors and vessels.
Navigate surveying vessels equip with GPS systems and fathometers used to conduct accurate and repeatable surveys.

Data communications technician vs hydrographer skills

Common data communications technician skills

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

Common hydrographer skills

GPS, 28%
GIS, 21%
Data Analysis, 16%
Data Processing, 16%
LiDAR, 6%
Side Scan, 5%

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Data Communications Technician vs Hydrographer

Updated January 8, 2025

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