Compare A Fiber Optic Technician ↔ B Field Radio Technician
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1 move · +$2,170 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Field Radio Technician: license not checked yet, experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Fiber Optic Technician to Field Radio Technician +$2,170 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83.
- Gates: license not checked yet, experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Systems Analysis, Repairing, Writing
Side by side
All Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers: Texas median $77,910, $2,170 more a year than all Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers ($75,740), every experience level.
More than 40 hours a week: Field Radio Technician 39%, Fiber Optic Technician 30%.
Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k
Gates on the route: license not checked yet, experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation
A +4.3% Texas, 810 openings a year
B +17.3% Texas, 80 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
3.5 / 5-0.92.6 / 5
- Outdoors, all weather-1.39Outdoors, all weather: A 4.95, B 3.56
- Very hot or cold-1.38Very hot or cold: A 4.43, B 3.05
- Kneeling or crawling-1.13Kneeling or crawling: A 3.4, B 2.27
- Climbing ladders-1.06Climbing ladders: A 3.26, B 2.2
- Bending or twisting-1.01Bending or twisting: A 3.63, B 2.62
Degree
A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 2% do).
B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 10% do).
License
A No TDLR electrician license for fiber, cabling and communications circuits (1305.003(a)(12)). Alarm or access control work may need a DPS license: not checked (site unreachable 2026-10-03).
B No TDLR electrician license for telecom providers' communications equipment (1305.003(a)(4)). FCC radio operator licenses were not checked: fcc.gov answered HTTP 403 on 2026-10-03.
Experience
A Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 29%).
B Most common related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET: 31%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
To build: 3
- Systems Analysis +0.75
- Repairing +0.50
- Writing +0.50
Make this your goal
Save Fiber Optic Technician to Field Radio Technician as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 3 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.
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