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The differences between telecommunications technicians and fiber optic 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 $40,661 average annual salary of a fiber optic technician.
The top three skills for a telecommunications technician include broadband, customer service and fiber optic cables. The most important skills for a fiber optic technician are fiber optic cables, ladders, and power meters.
| Telecommunications Technician | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,935 | $40,661 |
| Hourly rate | $20.16 | $19.55 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 70,494 | 103,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A fiber optic technician is someone who works with the optical cables and fibers used in communications data transmission. Fiber optic technicians fuse fibers together, install fiber cables, and splice fibers in buildings and beneath the ground. They take responsibility for fiber optic network installation and maintenance in schools, homes, businesses, and any other organizations. They identify the solutions to issues or problems to prevent fiber optic systems from their optimal performance.
Telecommunications technicians and fiber optic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecommunications Technician | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,935 | $40,661 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $31,000 And $51,000 |
| 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 telecommunications technician and a fiber optic technician in terms of educational background:
| Telecommunications Technician | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | - |
Here are the differences between telecommunications technicians' and fiber optic technicians' demographics:
| Telecommunications Technician | Fiber Optic Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 3.3% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 4% |