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The differences between locators and fiber optic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fiber optic technician has an average salary of $40,661, which is higher than the $36,634 average annual salary of a locator.
The top three skills for a locator include necessary paperwork, working independently and TV. The most important skills for a fiber optic technician are fiber optic cables, ladders, and power meters.
| Locator | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,634 | $40,661 |
| Hourly rate | $17.61 | $19.55 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,069 | 103,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A locator or utility locator is an individual 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. They must be able to operate small or medium-sized vehicles and direct traffic away from the worksite.
A fiber optic technician is someone who works with the optical cables and fibers used in communications data transmission. Fiber optic technicians fuse fibers together, install fiber cables, and splice fibers in buildings and beneath the ground. They take responsibility for fiber optic network installation and maintenance in schools, homes, businesses, and any other organizations. They identify the solutions to issues or problems to prevent fiber optic systems from their optimal performance.
Locators and fiber optic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Locator | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,634 | $40,661 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $58,000 | Between $31,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a locator and a fiber optic technician in terms of educational background:
| Locator | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between locators' and fiber optic technicians' demographics:
| Locator | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 3.9% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 3.3% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |