Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between telecommunication engineers and communications engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a telecommunication engineer and a communications engineer. Additionally, a communications engineer has an average salary of $83,540, which is higher than the $80,789 average annual salary of a telecommunication engineer.
The top three skills for a telecommunication engineer include telecommunication, voip and RF. The most important skills for a communications engineer are RF, unified communications, and unity.
| Telecommunication Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,789 | $83,540 |
| Hourly rate | $38.84 | $40.16 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 28,331 | 71,942 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A telecommunication engineer is responsible for installing, testing, and repairing telecommunication systems including mobile telephone networks and fiber optic and digital satellite systems. Your day-to-day duties include diagnosing and troubleshooting systems faults, installing static and mobile antennae on masts and buildings, and designing, developing, and testing telecommunications equipment and components. As a telecommunication engineer, you are also required to provide guidance and support to telecommunication installers to ensure quality. You are also responsible for providing recommendations to upgrade outdated equipment.
The duties of a communications engineer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around designing and developing new systems to optimize operations, performing research and assessments to identify company needs, determining the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and providing solutions on issues and concerns. Furthermore, as a communications engineer, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Telecommunication engineers and communications engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecommunication Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,789 | $83,540 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $109,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Shearman & Sterling |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a telecommunication engineer and a communications engineer in terms of educational background:
| Telecommunication Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between telecommunication engineers' and communications engineers' demographics:
| Telecommunication Engineer | Communications Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |