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Tower technician vs switch technician

The differences between tower technicians and switch technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a switch technician has an average salary of $101,377, 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 a switch technician are switches, routine maintenance, and T1.

Tower technician vs switch technician overview

Tower TechnicianSwitch Technician
Yearly salary$37,471$101,377
Hourly rate$18.01$48.74
Growth rate8%8%
Number of jobs92,56646,430
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 41%Associate Degree, 42%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Tower technician vs switch technician salary

Tower technicians and switch technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Tower TechnicianSwitch Technician
Average salary$37,471$101,377
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $46,000Between $76,000 And $134,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companySPX-
Best paying industryConstruction-

Differences between tower technician and switch technician education

There are a few differences between a tower technician and a switch technician in terms of educational background:

Tower TechnicianSwitch Technician
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 41%Associate Degree, 42%
Most common majorBusinessElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNew York UniversityInter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Tower technician vs switch technician demographics

Here are the differences between tower technicians' and switch technicians' demographics:

Tower TechnicianSwitch Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 96.9% Female, 3.1%Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 12.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between tower technician and switch technician duties and responsibilities

Tower technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage and make critical decisions in accordance with regulations for access and scheduling for certain private and federal FAA sites.
  • Hang and connect antenna's and TMA's.
  • Install grind rods and cad weld to form grind ring.
  • Complete several CPR and safety courses.
  • Remove old antennas and install new LTE antennas.
  • Get materials together, climb and rig towers.
  • Show more

Switch technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage LAN as an administrator for NATO HQ network.
  • Assist in managing CDMA network, Voice/EVDO circuit's layouts, CDM circuit inventory and roll over's for cell sites.
  • Configure Veraz switch for TDM and IP services.
  • Coordinate installation, testing, and troubleshooting of transmission facilities (OC48, T3, T1, and DSO).
  • Work with management team to develop a comprehensive and successful IP and TDM base network infrastructure and unify communications plan.
  • Circuit switching (DMS-250 and Alcatel DEX-600E).
  • Show more

Tower technician vs switch technician skills

Common tower technician skills
  • OSHA, 17%
  • CPR, 15%
  • RF, 14%
  • Hand Tools, 8%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • PIM, 4%
Common switch technician skills
  • Switches, 9%
  • Routine Maintenance, 7%
  • T1, 7%
  • RF, 6%
  • Technical Support, 4%
  • Trouble Tickets, 4%

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