Data communications technician vs telecommunications technician

The differences between data communications technicians and telecommunications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a data communications technician has an average salary of $51,843, which is higher than the $41,935 average annual salary of a telecommunications technician.

The top three skills for a data communications technician include POS, computer screens and RF. The most important skills for a telecommunications technician are broadband, customer service, and fiber optic cables.

Data communications technician vs telecommunications technician overview

	Data Communications Technician	Telecommunications Technician
Yearly salary	$51,843	$41,935
Hourly rate	$24.92	$20.16
Growth rate	7%	8%
Number of jobs	111,703	70,494
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Associate Degree, 35%
Average age	38	45
Years of experience	12	-

Data communications technician vs telecommunications technician salary

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

	Data Communications Technician	Telecommunications Technician
Average salary	$51,843	$41,935
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $82,000	Between $31,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Nebraska Public Power District
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between data communications technician and telecommunications technician education

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

	Data Communications Technician	Telecommunications Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Associate Degree, 35%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northeastern University	Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Data communications technician vs telecommunications technician demographics

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

	Data Communications Technician	Telecommunications Technician
Average age	38	45
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%
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, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between data communications technician and telecommunications 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.

Telecommunications technician example responsibilities.

Project complete while simultaneously managing VoIP project.
Install cable television, high-speed internet, routers, VOIP phone services, and data services to residential and commercial clients.
Provide technical and operational guidance and direction to the DoD customer in establishing and operating video teleconferencing systems.
Work with OSP to troubleshoot and repair faulty cable plant.
Terminate and install telecommunications cabling such as cat5E, fiber, and coaxial
Train call center personnel on use of CMS supervisor reports and agent monitoring.

Data communications technician vs telecommunications technician skills

Common data communications technician skills

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

Common telecommunications technician skills

Broadband, 14%
Customer Service, 7%
Fiber Optic Cables, 6%
Telephone Systems, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%
Telecommunication, 5%

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Data Communications Technician
Data Communications Technician vs Telecommunications Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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