Post job

Fiber optic central office installer vs telecommunications technician

The differences between fiber optic central office installers and telecommunications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a telecommunications technician has an average salary of $41,935, 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 telecommunications technician are broadband, customer service, and fiber optic cables.

Fiber optic central office installer vs telecommunications technician overview

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Yearly salary$40,855$41,935
Hourly rate$19.64$20.16
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs48,66370,494
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%Associate Degree, 35%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Fiber optic central office installer vs telecommunications technician salary

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

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Average salary$40,855$41,935
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $54,000Between $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 fiber optic central office installer and telecommunications technician education

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

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%Associate Degree, 35%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNew York UniversityInter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Fiber optic central office installer vs telecommunications technician demographics

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

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTelecommunications Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 97.6% Female, 2.4%Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%
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, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between fiber optic central office installer and telecommunications 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.

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.
  • Show more

Fiber optic central office installer vs telecommunications 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 telecommunications technician skills
  • Broadband, 14%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Fiber Optic Cables, 6%
  • Telephone Systems, 5%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Telecommunication, 5%

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs