Compare A Field Radio Technician ↔ B Communications Electrician Supervisor

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Your route

2 moves · -$1,150 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Fire Alarm Technician: license not checked yet.
Move 2, to Communications Electrician Supervisor: license depends on the work (Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8)), experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Field Radio Technician to Fire Alarm Technician -$25,640 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: license not checked yet.
Move 2 L1 step up on Low-voltage and life-safety systems
Fire Alarm Technician to Communications Electrician Supervisor +$24,490 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Next rung on 'Low-voltage and life-safety systems' (Skilled to Lead).
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8)), experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Management of Personnel Resources, Monitoring, Negotiation

Side by side

All First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers: Texas median $76,760, $1,150 less a year than all Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers ($77,910), every experience level.

More than 40 hours a week: Communications Electrician Supervisor 53%, Field Radio Technician 39%.

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$77,910-$1,150$76,760

Gates on the route: Fire Alarm Technician: license not checked yet; Communications Electrician Supervisor: license depends on the work (Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8)), experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +17.3% Texas, 80 openings a year

B +11.2% Texas, 6,510 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

39%+15 pts53%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

2.6 / 5+0.02.6 / 5

Hazardous conditions+0.97Hazardous conditions: A 1.77, B 2.74
Hazardous equipment+0.79Hazardous equipment: A 2.75, B 3.54
High places-0.66High places: A 3.09, B 2.43
Protective gear-0.59Protective gear: A 2.5, B 1.91
Bending or twisting+0.51Bending or twisting: A 2.62, B 3.13

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 10% 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 telecom providers' communications equipment (1305.003(a)(4)). FCC radio operator licenses were not checked: fcc.gov answered HTTP 403 on 2026-10-03.

B Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8).

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET: 31%).

B Most common related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET: 41%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Active Learning
Systems Analysis
Complex Problem Solving
Social Perceptiveness
Systems Evaluation
Troubleshooting

To build: 6

Management of Personnel Resources +1.50
Monitoring +0.88
Coordination +0.75
Judgment and Decision Making +0.75
Time Management +0.63
Negotiation +0.62

Make this your goal

Save Field Radio Technician to Communications Electrician Supervisor 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 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.