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The differences between tower hands and communications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a communications technician has an average salary of $52,222, which is higher than the $38,967 average annual salary of a tower hand.
The top three skills for a tower hand include CPR, RF and OSHA. The most important skills for a communications technician are customer service, rehabilitation, and hand tools.
| Tower Hand | Communications Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,967 | $52,222 |
| Hourly rate | $18.73 | $25.11 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 7,550 | 125,698 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 54% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A tower hand is an individual who climbs towers or poles to install, repair, and perform routine maintenance on electrical equipment. Tower hands are required to climb up very tall structures to perform maintenance on equipment such as power lines, cell tower components, or radio antenna equipment. They must perform audits on their climbing equipment so that they can determine the quality of their equipment as well as avoid defects. Tower hands must be competent climbers so that they can safely climb towers while carrying heavy equipment.
A communications technician utilizes their expertise in electronics by diagnosing issues and repairing devices ranging from cellphones, laptops, tablets, and more. They are responsible for troubleshooting and discussing the extent of malfunction with clients. Technicians diagnose the root of the problem and determine which corrective measure to take. A communications technician may work independently or as a member of a company. Most of the time, they have to consult with the clients over the pricing and kind of repairs, and then offer replacement parts.
Tower hands and communications technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tower Hand | Communications Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,967 | $52,222 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $59,000 | Between $29,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Tualatin, OR |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Pacifi |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a tower hand and a communications technician in terms of educational background:
| Tower Hand | Communications Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 54% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between tower hands' and communications technicians' demographics:
| Tower Hand | Communications Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9% | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |