How to hire a fiber technologist

How to hire a fiber technologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fiber technologist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fiber technologist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fiber technologist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a fiber technologist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the fiber technologist you need to hire. Certain fiber technologist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect fiber technologist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of fiber technologists.

   Type of Fiber Technologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Fiber Technologist	Line installers and repairers, also known as line workers, install or repair electrical power systems and telecommunications cables, including fiber optics.	$17-35
   Locator	A locator or utility locator is a professional who is responsible for locating, identifying, and marking underground utilities before the start of construction or other projects in an area. Locators are required to read maps and blueprints to determine where utilities are located and protect those underground utilities from damage during excavation... Show more	$10-27
   Cable Splicer	Cable splicers are skilled employees who are responsible for installing, splicing, testing, and repairing high-voltage overhead, underground, or submarine cables or wires. To reach the location of these high-voltage cables, cable splicers are required to climb utility poles, utilize truck-mounted lift buck, and descend into underground manholes... Show more	$14-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • OTDR
   • OSP
   • Fiber Optic Cables
   • Hand Tools
   • Ladders
   • ST
   • LC
   • Test Equipment
   • Broadband
   • Strong Work Ethic
   • OSHA
   • Patch Panels
   • RF
   • Multimode

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the OSP splicing department for the past year successfully with limit time, tools, and under train techs.
   • Open and close department independently and also assist surgical staff by managing QC and providing radiopharmaceuticals as needed for procedures.
   • Engineer broadband optical transmission systems using DWDM.
   • Used fusion splicer to repair breaks find by OTDR tests.
   • Design & build CWDM and DWDM fiber optic jumper cords.
   • Install and troubleshoot electronic cctv and access control point security systems.

   More fiber technologist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fiber technologist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A fiber technologist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a fiber technologist in Idaho may be lower than in Virginia, and an entry-level fiber technologist usually earns less than a senior-level fiber technologist. Additionally, a fiber technologist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average fiber technologist salary

   $51,824yearly

   $24.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fiber technologist salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average fiber technologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$64,695	$31
   2	Virginia	$62,262	$30
   3	New Jersey	$60,030	$29
   4	New York	$57,774	$28
   5	Illinois	$57,462	$28
   6	Connecticut	$56,055	$27
   7	Pennsylvania	$55,015	$26
   8	Washington	$51,091	$25
   9	North Carolina	$51,044	$25
   10	Colorado	$49,921	$24
   11	Texas	$46,925	$23
   12	Tennessee	$45,786	$22
   13	Oregon	$44,027	$21
   14	Alabama	$42,691	$21
   15	Florida	$42,663	$21
   16	Indiana	$42,258	$20
   17	Arizona	$40,770	$20
   18	Georgia	$40,730	$20
   19	Utah	$39,376	$19

   Average fiber technologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$120,880	$58.12	1
   2	Microsoft	$118,280	$56.87	27
   3	Applied Materials	$89,364	$42.96	43
   4	Allegro MicroSystems	$79,385	$38.17
   5	Amazon	$71,011	$34.14	107
   6	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$67,439	$32.42	1
   7	Weatherford International	$66,457	$31.95	4
   8	Spectrum	$63,722	$30.64
   9	Genuent	$62,597	$30.09
   10	Mercury Z	$58,757	$28.25
   11	PSEA	$58,320	$28.04
   12	Zayo Group	$57,939	$27.86	2
   13	Cannon Companies	$55,749	$26.80
   14	ACS Solutions	$55,350	$26.61
   15	Cree	$55,248	$26.56
   16	Grande Communications ClearSource, Inc.	$55,189	$26.53
   17	Arvig	$54,364	$26.14
   18	Bureau Veritas	$54,259	$26.09	8
   19	Shentel	$54,074	$26.00	27
   20	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$53,738	$25.84	4

4. Writing a fiber technologist job description

   A fiber technologist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a fiber technologist job description:

   Fiber technologist job description example

   One of the nation’s leading technology providers with 30 branch offices across the US. Our services include turn-key integrated technology solutions for the Communication, Audio Visual, and Security industries.

   When you join this team, you will enjoy rewarding benefits including competitive pay, full health benefits package, vacation and flex time, opportunities to advance, and the chance to work on some exciting, high-profile projects in San Antonio!

   Your Role:

   As a Fiber Technician, you will be responsible for the installation of fiber optic cable, fusion splicing, and terminating anaerobic, LC, ST, and SC connectors. You will be testing using an OTDR tester and troubleshooting.

   Background Profile

   • At least 1-year of experience terminating, splicing and testing fiber optic cable.
   • Experience Installing, terminating, testing, and troubleshooting cat5e/cat6 cable.
   • Familiar with BICSI, EIA, TIA, or NEC Standards.
   • Willing to work on projects in and around the greater San Antonio market.
   • Possess a valid driver’s license.
   • Be able to pass a criminal background and drug screen.

   About TradeSTAR

   Founded in 2004, TradeSTAR specializes in providing staffing and hiring solutions for the low voltage and electrical industries. Headquartered in Houston, Texas the company has expanded to include offices in all of Texas while servicing contractors throughout parts of the U.S.

   When you choose TradeSTAR, you are aligning yourself with an industry leader with proven experience. We serve as your Career Agent, with a mentality that we are successful when you are successful. Our goal is to match your individual personality and skills to help you develop a career in the industry and keep you working to meet your personal and professional objectives.

   Enjoy these benefits when working with us:

   Direct access to top contractors

   Competitive pay, with advancement opportunities

   A dedicated and experienced staff committed to the industries we serve.

   Great benefits, including matching 401(k), paid holidays, and more…

   Training and certification programs

   Flexible employment opportunities

   Concentrated marketing to put your information in front of top companies.

   We respect our employees and work to serve them in their pursuit of a great career

   We are honest and professional.

   Full-time opportunities in a growing industry

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find fiber technologists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any fiber technologists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level fiber technologists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fiber technologist job on Zippia to find and recruit fiber technologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit fiber technologists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fiber technologist

   Once you've found the fiber technologist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new fiber technologist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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