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The differences between telecommunications technicians and system technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a system technician has an average salary of $43,410, 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 a system technician are customer service, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.
| Telecommunications Technician | System Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $41,935 | $43,410 |
| Hourly rate | $20.16 | $20.87 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 70,494 | 137,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
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 system technician is an individual responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members. They should carry out tests on the system so that they can generate error reports to identify and fix any computer system problems. System technicians also can write and maintain computer programs and work with computers and electronics, including circuit boards, computer hardware and software, and computer processors.
Telecommunications technicians and system technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecommunications Technician | System Technician | |
| Average salary | $41,935 | $43,410 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $27,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Nebraska Public Power District | Bristol-Myers Squibb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a telecommunications technician and a system technician in terms of educational background:
| Telecommunications Technician | System Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between telecommunications technicians' and system technicians' demographics:
| Telecommunications Technician | System Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| 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, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |