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The differences between tower technicians and installation technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an installation technician has an average salary of $38,043, which is higher than the $37,471 average annual salary of a tower technician.
The top three skills for a tower technician include OSHA, CPR and RF. The most important skills for an installation technician are customer service, ladders, and hand tools.
| Tower Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,471 | $38,043 |
| Hourly rate | $18.01 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 92,566 | 129,534 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A tower technician is responsible for maintaining the performance stability of line towers to provide the best network services for the customers. Tower technicians are often out in the field to conduct repairs and installations for the customers, inspecting the area's condition, and reporting structural inconsistencies and defects. They should have excellent mechanical and electrical knowledge to resolve issues immediately and create resolution manuals to prevent reoccurrence and ensure the safeness and security of line towers.
Installation technicians are responsible for handling and installing all types of electronic systems and equipment. An installation technician should be well-knowledgeable about the equipment complexity to conduct troubleshooting for system malfunction or provide necessary instructions for the customers. In some cases, installation technicians are required to conduct regular checks and maintenance to ensure that the system functions properly, upgrading, or replacing equipment for improvement. Installation technicians usually handle customer queries for the system and are expected to resolve issues through remote work or area visit.
Tower technicians and installation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tower Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,471 | $38,043 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | SPX | Pella |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Finance |
There are a few differences between a tower technician and an installation technician in terms of educational background:
| Tower Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between tower technicians' and installation technicians' demographics:
| Tower Technician | Installation Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1% | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |