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The differences between telecom technicians and field 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 $37,520 average annual salary of a field technician.
The top three skills for a telecom technician include fiber optic cables, voip and switches. The most important skills for a field technician are customer service, ladders, and test equipment.
| Telecom Technician | Field Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,352 | $37,520 |
| Hourly rate | $26.13 | $18.04 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 111,865 | 123,149 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
A field technician is responsible for providing technical and maintenance support for the customers by area visits. Field technicians' duties include diagnosing technical problems, replacing malfunction components, upgrading systems for efficiency, running equipment tests to ensure stability, creating draft reports of performed processes, utilizing vehicles and other tools safely, following client's specifications on operating equipment, and adhering to the safety standards. A field technician must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the technological industry.
Telecom technicians and field technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecom Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average salary | $54,352 | $37,520 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $89,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | DCP Midstream |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a telecom technician and a field technician in terms of educational background:
| Telecom Technician | Field Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | - |
Here are the differences between telecom technicians' and field technicians' demographics:
| Telecom Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 1% |