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Fiber optic central office installer vs tower technician

The differences between fiber optic central office installers and tower technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fiber optic central office installer has an average salary of $40,855, which is higher than the $37,471 average annual salary of a tower technician.

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 tower technician are OSHA, CPR, and RF.

Fiber optic central office installer vs tower technician overview

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTower Technician
Yearly salary$40,855$37,471
Hourly rate$19.64$18.01
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs48,66392,566
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%High School Diploma, 41%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Fiber optic central office installer vs tower technician salary

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

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTower Technician
Average salary$40,855$37,471
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $54,000Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-SPX
Best paying industry-Construction

Differences between fiber optic central office installer and tower technician education

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

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTower Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 38%High School Diploma, 41%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBusiness
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNew York University

Fiber optic central office installer vs tower technician demographics

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

Fiber Optic Central Office InstallerTower Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 97.6% Female, 2.4%Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
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, 11.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between fiber optic central office installer and tower 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.

Tower technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and make critical decisions in accordance with regulations for access and scheduling for certain private and federal FAA sites.
  • Hang and connect antenna's and TMA's.
  • Install grind rods and cad weld to form grind ring.
  • Complete several CPR and safety courses.
  • Remove old antennas and install new LTE antennas.
  • Get materials together, climb and rig towers.
  • Show more

Fiber optic central office installer vs tower 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 tower technician skills
  • OSHA, 17%
  • CPR, 15%
  • RF, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • PIM, 4%

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