Utility lineman vs fiber technologist

The differences between utility linemen and fiber technologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a utility lineman has an average salary of $69,220, which is higher than the $51,824 average annual salary of a fiber technologist.

The top three skills for a utility lineman include electrical systems, line trucks and street lights. The most important skills for a fiber technologist are OTDR, OSP, and fiber optic cables.

Utility lineman vs fiber technologist overview

	Utility Lineman	Fiber Technologist
Yearly salary	$69,220	$51,824
Hourly rate	$33.28	$24.92
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	8,520	128,496
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Utility lineman vs fiber technologist salary

Utility linemen and fiber technologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Utility Lineman	Fiber Technologist
Average salary	$69,220	$51,824
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $95,000	Between $36,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	Rocklin, CA
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between utility lineman and fiber technologist education

There are a few differences between a utility lineman and a fiber technologist in terms of educational background:

	Utility Lineman	Fiber Technologist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering Technology	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	-	-

Utility lineman vs fiber technologist demographics

Here are the differences between utility linemen' and fiber technologists' demographics:

	Utility Lineman	Fiber Technologist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between utility lineman and fiber technologist duties and responsibilities

Utility lineman example responsibilities.

Set up cranes at work location and establish a control access zone to prevent injury to others on the job site.
Used gaffs, ladders, and bucket trucks.
Have lineman skills of pole climbing with gaffs.
Edit, and maintain filing system for all engineer drawings utilizing AutoCAD.

Fiber technologist example responsibilities.

Manage the OSP splicing department for the past year successfully with limit time, tools, and under train techs.
Open and close department independently and also assist surgical staff by managing QC and providing radiopharmaceuticals as needed for procedures.
Engineer broadband optical transmission systems using DWDM.
Used fusion splicer to repair breaks find by OTDR tests.
Design & build CWDM and DWDM fiber optic jumper cords.
Install and troubleshoot electronic cctv and access control point security systems.

Utility lineman vs fiber technologist skills

Common utility lineman skills

Electrical Systems, 61%
Line Trucks, 27%
Street Lights, 6%
DOT, 6%

Common fiber technologist skills

OTDR, 8%
OSP, 7%
Fiber Optic Cables, 7%
Hand Tools, 6%
Ladders, 6%
ST, 6%

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Utility Lineman
Utility Lineman vs Fiber Technologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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