Compare A Network Technician ↔ B Communications Electrician Supervisor

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Your route

2 moves · +$9,980 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
Network Technician to Fire Alarm Technician -$14,510 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.85 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- 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, $9,980 more a year than all Computer Network Support Specialists ($66,780), every experience level.

More than 40 hours a week: Communications Electrician Supervisor 53%, Network Technician 46%.

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

$66,780+$9,980$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 +12.4% Texas, 920 openings a year

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

Over 40 h a week

46%+7 pts53%

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

1.7 / 5+0.92.6 / 5

Hazardous equipment+2.23Hazardous equipment: A 1.31, B 3.54
Very hot or cold+1.98Very hot or cold: A 1.44, B 3.42
Outdoors, all weather+1.75Outdoors, all weather: A 1.51, B 3.26
Hazardous conditions+1.62Hazardous conditions: A 1.12, B 2.74
Bending or twisting+1.27Bending or twisting: A 1.86, B 3.13

Degree

A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 50%).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 10% do).

License

A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

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 4 years, up to and including 6 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

Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Active Learning
Systems Analysis
Complex Problem Solving

To build: 6

Management of Personnel Resources +1.63
Coordination +1.00
Operation and Control +1.00
Monitoring +0.75
Negotiation +0.75
Persuasion +0.75

Make this your goal

Save Network 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.