What does a tower technician do?
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 technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real tower technician resumes:
- 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.
- Upgrade, decom, and build cellphone towers.
- Remove old fill by hand and dispose of.
- Contain and 1st aid\ cpr certificates up to date.
- Install tower and client equipment for wireless broadband internet.
- Assist installing guy wires, grounding, and cad welding.
- Collect azimuth reading for antennas, micro dish, and orientation.
- Install and power up equipment for TMA's and antenna's.
- Trim, plant, and remove trees according to ISA standards.
- Apply floor decking and work with a variety of power tools.
Tower technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Tower Technicians are proficient in OSHA, CPR, and RF. They’re also known for soft skills such as Color vision, Customer-service skills, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Tower Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- OSHA, 17%
Conducted quarterly safety inspections of equipment, including rigging, according to OSHA specifications.
- CPR, 15%
Certified in CPR, High-Line Rescue, National Association of Tower Climbers and OHSA-10 Construction.
- RF, 14%
Performed installation of antennas, mounts, radios, amplifiers, RF & Fiber jumpers, etc.
- Hand Tools, 8%
Use general hand/air or electric hand tools, safety 1st, knowing what it takes to get the job done correctly.
- Safety Procedures, 5%
Follow strict safety procedures and guidelines implemented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
- PIM, 4%
Operated digital test equipment, including both PIM and Sweep gear for UMTS GSM LTE and AWS cell technologies.
Common skills that a tower technician uses to do their job include "osha," "cpr," and "rf." You can find details on the most important tower technician responsibilities below.
Color vision. The most essential soft skill for a tower technician to carry out their responsibilities is color vision. This skill is important for the role because "telecom technicians work with color-coded wires, and they need to be able to tell them apart." Additionally, a tower technician resume shows how their duties depend on color vision: "install hybrids, fiber jumpers, antennas, rru's, color coding, , and bts equipment. "
Customer-service skills. Another essential skill to perform tower technician duties is customer-service skills. Tower technicians responsibilities require that "telecom technicians who work in customers’ homes and offices should be friendly and polite." Tower technicians also use customer-service skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "construct and maintain cell phone towers and cell sites dealt directly with clients and customers"
Dexterity. This is an important skill for tower technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how tower technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "telecom technicians’ tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a tower technician: "access work sites using ladders, scaffolding, aerial lifts, and other equipment. ".
Mechanical skills. tower technician responsibilities often require "mechanical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "telecom technicians must be familiar with the devices they install and repair, with their internal parts, and with the appropriate tools needed to use, install, or fix them." This resume example shows what tower technicians do with mechanical skills on a typical day: "operated and cleaned basic hand tools and mechanical equipment. "
Troubleshooting skills. Another common skill required for tower technician responsibilities is "troubleshooting skills." This skill comes up in the duties of tower technicians all the time, as "telecom technicians must be able to troubleshoot and devise solutions to problems that are not immediately apparent." An excerpt from a real tower technician resume shows how this skill is central to what a tower technician does: "performed installations, upgrades, troubleshooting, and landscaping of t-mobile cell sites. "
The three companies that hire the most tower technicians are:
- QualTek120 tower technicians jobs
- Velex
29 tower technicians jobs
- Jacobs Enterprises20 tower technicians jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable tower technician resume templates
Build a professional tower technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your tower technician resume.
Compare different tower technicians
Tower technician vs. Equipment installer
A cable installer installs and maintains telecommunication systems and equipment such as telephone lines, cable television, or internet services at homes or commercial areas. In some companies, a cable installer may also handle complaints and concerns, conduct inspections, troubleshoot problems, and fix or replace components when necessary. Their job often requires them to climb up poles or even towers to attach or repair wires, and there are times when they may perform adjustments or even disconnections. They may also assist clients by answering inquiries, providing instructions, or referring them to other services when necessary.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a tower technician are more likely to require skills like "osha," "cpr," "rf," and "safety procedures." On the other hand, a job as an equipment installer requires skills like "plumbing," "hvac," "electrical equipment," and "fiber optic." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Equipment installers really shine in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $44,418. Comparatively, tower technicians tend to make the most money in the construction industry with an average salary of $39,462.On average, equipment installers reach similar levels of education than tower technicians. Equipment installers are 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Tower technician vs. Systems installer
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.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that tower technician responsibilities requires skills like "osha," "cpr," "hand tools," and "safety procedures." But a systems installer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "hvac," "telephone systems," "fire alarms," and "alarm systems."
On average, systems installers earn a higher salary than tower technicians. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, systems installers earn the most pay in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $52,453. Whereas tower technicians have higher pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $39,462.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Systems installers tend to reach similar levels of education than tower technicians. In fact, they're 2.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Tower technician vs. Cable installer
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a tower technician is likely to be skilled in "osha," "cpr," "rf," and "hand tools," while a typical cable installer is skilled in "tv," "trouble calls," "cable lines," and "cat5."
Cable installers make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $43,049. On the other hand, tower technicians are paid the highest salary in the construction industry, with average annual pay of $39,462.cable installers typically earn similar educational levels compared to tower technicians. Specifically, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Tower technician vs. Tower climber
Types of tower technician
Updated January 8, 2025
