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The differences between tower climbers and linemen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lineman has an average salary of $78,563, which is higher than the $41,248 average annual salary of a tower climber.
The top three skills for a tower climber include CPR, RF and OSHA. The most important skills for a lineman are safety rules, switches, and CDL.
| Tower Climber | Lineman | |
| Yearly salary | $41,248 | $78,563 |
| Hourly rate | $19.83 | $37.77 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 18,165 | 2,672 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Tower Climbers are professionals who are responsible for performing comprehensive installations, inspections, and maintenance on cell towers, self-supporting towers, and other tower transmitter systems. These climbers are required to complete tower safety courses so that they can climb communication towers to assist crews in repairing and inspecting communication boxes. They must operate heavy equipment to prepare sites for the construction and erection of communication towers. Tower Climbers should also guarantee the safety of their crews during extreme weather conditions by following company policies and procedures.
The primary job of a lineman is to install, repair, and maintain high-powered electrical lines and systems. They work on transmission and distribution lines from the power sources and extend to individual buildings or homes. Those working as a lineman can repair both overhead and underground electrical wires and cables. In addition, their responsibilities might also include excavating trenches to install underground lines, climbing poles to repair overhead lines, installing the meter, and inspecting power lines for possible repair or replacement.
Tower climbers and linemen have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tower Climber | Lineman | |
| Average salary | $41,248 | $78,563 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $59,000 | Between $53,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Reno, NV |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | General Dynamics Mission Systems | NV Energy |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a tower climber and a lineman in terms of educational background:
| Tower Climber | Lineman | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 49% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | New York University | - |
Here are the differences between tower climbers' and linemen' demographics:
| Tower Climber | Lineman | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 1.2% White, 75.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 4% |