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Structured cabling technician vs central office technician

The differences between structured cabling technicians and central office technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a central office technician has an average salary of $39,043, which is higher than the $37,985 average annual salary of a structured cabling technician.

The top three skills for a structured cabling technician include structured cabling, fiber optic and hand tools. The most important skills for a central office technician are fiber optic cables, switches, and T1.

Structured cabling technician vs central office technician overview

Structured Cabling TechnicianCentral Office Technician
Yearly salary$37,985$39,043
Hourly rate$18.26$18.77
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs89,73979,138
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%Associate Degree, 41%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Structured cabling technician vs central office technician salary

Structured cabling technicians and central office technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Structured Cabling TechnicianCentral Office Technician
Average salary$37,985$39,043
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $58,000Between $24,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between structured cabling technician and central office technician education

There are a few differences between a structured cabling technician and a central office technician in terms of educational background:

Structured Cabling TechnicianCentral Office Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%Associate Degree, 41%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico BayamonUniversity of Pennsylvania

Structured cabling technician vs central office technician demographics

Here are the differences between structured cabling technicians' and central office technicians' demographics:

Structured Cabling TechnicianCentral Office Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 94.4% Female, 5.6%Male, 79.5% Female, 20.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 7.3% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between structured cabling technician and central office technician duties and responsibilities

Structured cabling technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage MDF for all incoming, outbound circuits, cross connects and patches
  • Install ladder racks, patch panels, switches, and cable management in communication closets.
  • Pull cable to IDF, and MDF closets.
  • Install telecom cables data, voice, and CCTV.
  • Hold certifications of NEC and OHSA.
  • Install structure cable CAT5 Cat6 cat6e fiber.
  • Show more

Central office technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage assigned Ericsson AXE patch upgrades and retrofits for all AXE sites.
  • Assist in managing CDMA network, Voice/EVDO circuit's layouts, CDM circuit inventory and roll over's for cell sites.
  • Install all Nortel DMS series equipment.
  • Operate power-meters, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, and various RF test equipment.
  • Install and troubleshoot telecommunications circuits and devices including legacy, asynchronous, SONET, and Ethernet equipment.
  • Associate duties include running cable, lacing, stitching, wire wrapping, mounting bays, etc.
  • Show more

Structured cabling technician vs central office technician skills

Common structured cabling technician skills
  • Structured Cabling, 15%
  • Fiber Optic, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 9%
  • Ladders, 8%
  • OSHA, 6%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
Common central office technician skills
  • Fiber Optic Cables, 8%
  • Switches, 7%
  • T1, 5%
  • Provisioning, 5%
  • DS3, 4%
  • IP, 4%

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