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The differences between tower technicians and tower climbers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tower climber has an average salary of $41,248, 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 tower climber are CPR, RF, and OSHA.
| Tower Technician | Tower Climber | |
| Yearly salary | $37,471 | $41,248 |
| Hourly rate | $18.01 | $19.83 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 92,566 | 18,165 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| 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.
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.
Tower technicians and tower climbers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tower Technician | Tower Climber | |
| Average salary | $37,471 | $41,248 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $28,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | SPX | General Dynamics Mission Systems |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a tower technician and a tower climber in terms of educational background:
| Tower Technician | Tower Climber | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between tower technicians' and tower climbers' demographics:
| Tower Technician | Tower Climber | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |