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Radio technician vs system technician

The differences between radio technicians and system technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a radio technician, becoming a system technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a system technician has an average salary of $43,410, which is higher than the $39,253 average annual salary of a radio technician.

The top three skills for a radio technician include RF, test equipment and electronic equipment. The most important skills for a system technician are customer service, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.

Radio technician vs system technician overview

Radio TechnicianSystem Technician
Yearly salary$39,253$43,410
Hourly rate$18.87$20.87
Growth rate8%5%
Number of jobs27,419137,121
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 40%Associate Degree, 40%
Average age4543
Years of experience122

What does a radio technician do?

Radiation therapy technicians are responsible for the administration of targeted radiation treatments to patients. They interact with patients on a regular basis and may combine physical tests with other therapy techniques. It will demand the skills of interpersonal communication, a background in radiology, a detail-oriented personality, and various technical skills.

What does a system technician do?

A system technician is an individual responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members. They should carry out tests on the system so that they can generate error reports to identify and fix any computer system problems. System technicians also can write and maintain computer programs and work with computers and electronics, including circuit boards, computer hardware and software, and computer processors.

Radio technician vs system technician salary

Radio technicians and system technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Radio TechnicianSystem Technician
Average salary$39,253$43,410
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $51,000Between $27,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CityFresno, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industryGovernmentGovernment

Differences between radio technician and system technician education

There are a few differences between a radio technician and a system technician in terms of educational background:

Radio TechnicianSystem Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 40%Associate Degree, 40%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityStanford University

Radio technician vs system technician demographics

Here are the differences between radio technicians' and system technicians' demographics:

Radio TechnicianSystem Technician
Average age4543
Gender ratioMale, 92.6% Female, 7.4%Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage6%9%

Differences between radio technician and system technician duties and responsibilities

Radio technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Install, maintain and upgrade PBX's of Nortel and other brands.
  • Wire the system cable, LMR cable, RF jumpers, power cable according to wiring schematics.
  • Work as move, add, and change technician on Nortel, GTE, and Fujitsu PBX's and station equipment.
  • Assemble pcb board, fiber optic and surface mount.
  • Consist of a complete replacement or overhaul of the previous LMR system.
  • Show more

System technician example responsibilities.

  • Install and manage approve software distributions using Microsoft SCCM.
  • Manage, support and maintain modern EMC SAN storage platform.
  • Manage 185 virtualize desktops running in a cluster VMware ESX environment.
  • Provide on-site construction support and lead system testing, debugging, and startup.
  • Develop and implement a weekly schedule on SQL databases to automate the execution of maintenance plans.
  • Plan and lead training programs on new software development essential to the movement to a paperless travel department for DoD.
  • Show more

Radio technician vs system technician skills

Common radio technician skills
  • RF, 11%
  • Test Equipment, 6%
  • Electronic Equipment, 5%
  • Radio Systems, 4%
  • Two-Way Radio, 4%
  • Two Way Radios, 4%
Common system technician skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 6%
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Control Systems, 4%
  • Security Systems, 4%

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