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Field installer vs tower technician

The differences between field installers and tower technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a field installer has an average salary of $41,668, which is higher than the $37,471 average annual salary of a tower technician.

The top three skills for a field installer include customer satisfaction, windows and ladders. The most important skills for a tower technician are OSHA, CPR, and RF.

Field installer vs tower technician overview

Field InstallerTower Technician
Yearly salary$41,668$37,471
Hourly rate$20.03$18.01
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs73,31192,566
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 33%High School Diploma, 41%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Field installer vs tower technician salary

Field installers and tower technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field InstallerTower Technician
Average salary$41,668$37,471
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $48,000Between $29,000 And $46,000
Highest paying CityAlbany, NYSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyCrown EquipmentSPX
Best paying industryRetailConstruction

Differences between field installer and tower technician education

There are a few differences between a field installer and a tower technician in terms of educational background:

Field InstallerTower Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 33%High School Diploma, 41%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNew York University

Field installer vs tower technician demographics

Here are the differences between field installers' and tower technicians' demographics:

Field InstallerTower Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 95.1% Female, 4.9%Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 58.7% 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 field installer and tower technician duties and responsibilities

Field installer example responsibilities.

  • Retrofit security wiring in residential and commercial settings.
  • General construction including electrical repairs and installation, plumbing repair and installation, drywall and basic carpentry.
  • Install expansion and control valves, using acetylene torches and wrenches.

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

Field installer vs tower technician skills

Common field installer skills
  • Customer Satisfaction, 22%
  • Windows, 16%
  • Ladders, 8%
  • HVAC, 7%
  • PC, 6%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
Common tower technician skills
  • OSHA, 17%
  • CPR, 15%
  • RF, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • PIM, 4%

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