Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between structured cabling technicians and telecom technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a telecom technician has an average salary of $54,352, 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 telecom technician are fiber optic cables, voip, and switches.
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecom Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,985 | $54,352 |
| Hourly rate | $18.26 | $26.13 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 89,739 | 111,865 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| 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.
A telecom technician is responsible for overseeing and maintaining telecommunication systems. They are usually in charge of planning and conceptualizing systems, performing installations and adjustments, troubleshooting problems, and conducting repairs. Through extensive research and analysis, they also develop and implement test structures that ensure the safety and efficiency of systems, create strategies to optimize workflow, and implement solutions against areas needing improvement. Moreover, aside from providing technical support, a telecom technician may also establish guidelines and recommend technical practices.
Structured cabling technicians and telecom technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecom Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,985 | $54,352 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $33,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a structured cabling technician and a telecom technician in terms of educational background:
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecom Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon |
Here are the differences between structured cabling technicians' and telecom technicians' demographics:
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecom Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% |
| 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, 12.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |