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The differences between structured cabling technicians and installation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an installation technician has an average salary of $38,043, 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 an installation technician are customer service, ladders, and hand tools.
| Structured Cabling Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,985 | $38,043 |
| Hourly rate | $18.26 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 89,739 | 129,534 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A structured cabling technician builds infrastructure for local area networks, wide area networks, and cable television networks. They visit clients' homes or offices to install cabling that supports infrastructure. They often work overtime, and they may be required to work in hazardous conditions.
Installation technicians are responsible for handling and installing all types of electronic systems and equipment. An installation technician should be well-knowledgeable about the equipment complexity to conduct troubleshooting for system malfunction or provide necessary instructions for the customers. In some cases, installation technicians are required to conduct regular checks and maintenance to ensure that the system functions properly, upgrading, or replacing equipment for improvement. Installation technicians usually handle customer queries for the system and are expected to resolve issues through remote work or area visit.
Structured cabling technicians and installation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structured Cabling Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,985 | $38,043 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Pella |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a structured cabling technician and an installation technician in terms of educational background:
| Structured Cabling Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | New York University |
Here are the differences between structured cabling technicians' and installation technicians' demographics:
| Structured Cabling Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 12.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |