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The differences between fiber technologists and cable technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fiber technologist has an average salary of $51,824, which is higher than the $47,289 average annual salary of a cable technician.
The top three skills for a fiber technologist include OTDR, OSP and fiber optic cables. The most important skills for a cable technician are broadband, customer service, and ladders.
| Fiber Technologist | Cable Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,824 | $47,289 |
| Hourly rate | $24.92 | $22.74 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 128,496 | 120,249 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Fiber Technologists are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of fiber optic cables. Their duties include organizing maintenance schedules, conducting fiber optic system installation, replacing old fiber optics cables, troubleshoot fiber optic issues, and manage fiber splicing. They are responsible for undertaking fiber optic inspection, creating sensor indicators, fulfilling cable requirements, and implementing cabling for premises. Fiber Technologists also manage system records as well as track devices' signal strengths.
A cable technician is responsible for managing cable systems, installing cable equipment, upgrading network systems, and troubleshooting cable issues. Cable technicians' duties include replacing defective cabling, running diagnostic tests on newly-installed cable systems, inspecting cable towers and ground cables, providing cable instructions to the customer, responding to customer's cable inquiries and requests, and ensuring the safety of cable structures. A cable technician must have a strong understanding of electrical systems and cable technology, following the established procedures and environmental policies.
Fiber technologists and cable technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fiber Technologist | Cable Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,824 | $47,289 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $34,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rocklin, CA | Jackson, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | Baker Hughes |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Media |
There are a few differences between a fiber technologist and a cable technician in terms of educational background:
| Fiber Technologist | Cable Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | High School Diploma, 39% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | New York University |
Here are the differences between fiber technologists' and cable technicians' demographics:
| Fiber Technologist | Cable Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |