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The differences between telecommunications technicians and electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an electrician has an average salary of $48,850, which is higher than the $41,935 average annual salary of a telecommunications technician.
The top three skills for a telecommunications technician include broadband, customer service and fiber optic cables. The most important skills for an electrician are hand tools, electrical equipment, and run conduit.
| Telecommunications Technician | Electrician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,935 | $48,850 |
| Hourly rate | $20.16 | $23.49 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 70,494 | 17,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.86 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
An electrician is a skilled tradesman in charge of wirings and systems which provide electric power to a facility. They are trained to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems. There are four basic types of an electrician - residential wiremen, inside wiremen, telecommunications electrician, and outside linemen. Some work on a standard 40-hour week shift while others are on-call duty. In some cases, traveling is also a vital key to their role where they would work for a few days before moving to another location.
Telecommunications technicians and electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecommunications Technician | Electrician | |
| Average salary | $41,935 | $48,850 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $32,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Nebraska Public Power District | PBF Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a telecommunications technician and an electrician in terms of educational background:
| Telecommunications Technician | Electrician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering Technology |
| Most common college | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | - |
Here are the differences between telecommunications technicians' and electricians' demographics:
| Telecommunications Technician | Electrician | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 3% |