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Fire alarm technician vs protective signal installer

The differences between fire alarm technicians and protective signal installers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a fire alarm technician and a protective signal installer. Additionally, a fire alarm technician has an average salary of $42,765, which is higher than the $38,206 average annual salary of a protective signal installer.

The top three skills for a fire alarm technician include customer service, fire protection and NFPA. The most important skills for a protective signal installer are electrical equipment, traffic signal systems, and .

Fire alarm technician vs protective signal installer overview

Fire Alarm TechnicianProtective Signal Installer
Yearly salary$42,765$38,206
Hourly rate$20.56$18.37
Growth rate6%2%
Number of jobs44,52916,694
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 30%
Average age4444
Years of experience1212

Fire alarm technician vs protective signal installer salary

Fire alarm technicians and protective signal installers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fire Alarm TechnicianProtective Signal Installer
Average salary$42,765$38,206
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $57,000Between $25,000 And $56,000
Highest paying CityFort Wayne, IN-
Highest paying stateIndiana-
Best paying companySiemens-
Best paying industryFinance-

Differences between fire alarm technician and protective signal installer education

There are a few differences between a fire alarm technician and a protective signal installer in terms of educational background:

Fire Alarm TechnicianProtective Signal Installer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 30%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common college--

Fire alarm technician vs protective signal installer demographics

Here are the differences between fire alarm technicians' and protective signal installers' demographics:

Fire Alarm TechnicianProtective Signal Installer
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 96.8% Female, 3.2%Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 4.1% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between fire alarm technician and protective signal installer duties and responsibilities

Fire alarm technician example responsibilities.

  • Install, manage, and troubleshoot CAT3, CAT5, CAT6, and fiber optic infrastructures throughout the greater Tulsa area.
  • Perform installation by climbing to heights and scaffolding while lifting all equipments.
  • Certify, recharge, and sell fire extinguishers to multiple locations around Florida
  • Repair, replace, recharge, fill, and tag all fire extinguishers.
  • Set up network systems including modems, routers, switches WAPS, and WAPS controllers.
  • Prewire commercial/residential with cat5, Rg6, telephone lines, cameras, and home audio wires.
  • Show more

Protective signal installer example responsibilities.

  • Manage telecommunications, data and CCTV equipment.
  • Perform routine maintenance such as oil changes, brakes, tires, batteries, etc ....
  • Locate underground utilities, water mains, gas mains, etc using location devices.
  • Test rectifiers for proper installation and operation.
  • Perform preventative maintenance, troubleshot breakdowns and repair malfunctioning HVAC systems and components; utilize measuring and testing instruments.
  • Rout and connect cable lines to switchboard, used of soldering iron.

Fire alarm technician vs protective signal installer skills

Common fire alarm technician skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Fire Protection, 13%
  • NFPA, 8%
  • Ladders, 7%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Test Equipment, 4%
Common protective signal installer skills
  • Electrical Equipment, 90%
  • Traffic Signal Systems, 10%

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