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Fiber optic central office installer vs communications technician

The differences between fiber optic central office installers 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 $40,855 average annual salary of a fiber optic central office installer.

The top three skills for a fiber optic central office installer include fiber optic cables, test equipment and install fiber. The most important skills for a communications technician are customer service, rehabilitation, and hand tools.

Fiber optic central office installer vs communications technician overview

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerCommunications Technician
Yearly salary$40,855$52,222
Hourly rate$19.64$25.11
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs48,663125,698
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%Associate Degree, 35%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Fiber optic central office installer vs communications technician salary

Fiber optic central office installers and communications technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerCommunications Technician
Average salary$40,855$52,222
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $54,000Between $29,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City-Tualatin, OR
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Pacifi
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between fiber optic central office installer and communications technician education

There are a few differences between a fiber optic central office installer and a communications technician in terms of educational background:

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerCommunications Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%Associate Degree, 35%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNew York UniversityStanford University

Fiber optic central office installer vs communications technician demographics

Here are the differences between fiber optic central office installers' and communications technicians' demographics:

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerCommunications Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 97.6% Female, 2.4%Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between fiber optic central office installer and communications technician duties and responsibilities

Fiber optic central office installer example responsibilities.

  • Wire and test RJ45, both in UTP and STP as well as CAT5/5E and CAT6.
  • Help linemen with the installation of underground and ariel fiber optics.
  • Repair and install business and residential FiOS digital telephone, broadband internet, and high-definition television service.
  • Configure Cat6 cabling/wall jack terminations, testing voice/data line activity to confirm connections.

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.
  • Show more

Fiber optic central office installer vs communications technician skills

Common fiber optic central office installer skills
  • Fiber Optic Cables, 35%
  • Test Equipment, 29%
  • Install Fiber, 10%
  • Cable Lines, 10%
  • CAT5, 9%
  • Patch Panels, 7%
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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