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The differences between tracers and telecommunications technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tracer has an average salary of $43,913, which is higher than the $41,935 average annual salary of a telecommunications technician.
The top three skills for a tracer include government agencies, customer service and patient accounts. The most important skills for a telecommunications technician are broadband, customer service, and fiber optic cables.
| Tracer | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,913 | $41,935 |
| Hourly rate | $21.11 | $20.16 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 4,824 | 70,494 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The duties of a tracer primarily depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In the healthcare industry, a tracer plays a vital role in minimizing the spread of contagious diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Also known as a contact tracer, they are primarily in charge of identifying individuals who came in contact and were potentially exposed to a patient diagnosed with the contagious disease, reaching out to them in order to inform them about the situation, initiate isolation protocol, conduct interviews to learn any symptoms, and refer them for testing.
A telecommunications technician is responsible for maintaining the company's telecommunication networks, including communication systems and installation of internet lines and cables. Telecommunications technicians inspect the efficiency of the organization's communication networks, ensuring its optimal performance to support the business' operations. They also upgrade the systems, run diagnostic tests for newly installed cables, and create detailed reports of preventive maintenance processes for reference. A telecommunications technician must have excellent knowledge of the technological industry, including the end-users' and clients' needs to determine the best procedures to maintain the reliability of existing systems.
Tracers and telecommunications technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tracer | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,913 | $41,935 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $66,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Chicago Public Schools | Nebraska Public Power District |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a tracer and a telecommunications technician in terms of educational background:
| Tracer | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon |
Here are the differences between tracers' and telecommunications technicians' demographics:
| Tracer | Telecommunications Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.3% Female, 63.7% | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |