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The differences between structured cabling technicians and telecommunications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a telecommunications technician has an average salary of $41,935, 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 telecommunications technician are broadband, customer service, and fiber optic cables.
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,985 | $41,935 |
| Hourly rate | $18.26 | $20.16 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 89,739 | 70,494 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| 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 telecommunications technician is responsible for maintaining the company's telecommunication networks, including communication systems and installation of internet lines and cables. Telecommunications technicians inspect the efficiency of the organization's communication networks, ensuring its optimal performance to support the business' operations. They also upgrade the systems, run diagnostic tests for newly installed cables, and create detailed reports of preventive maintenance processes for reference. A telecommunications technician must have excellent knowledge of the technological industry, including the end-users' and clients' needs to determine the best procedures to maintain the reliability of existing systems.
Structured cabling technicians and telecommunications technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,985 | $41,935 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a structured cabling technician and a telecommunications technician in terms of educational background:
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| 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 telecommunications technicians' demographics:
| Structured Cabling Technician | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| 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, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |