Compare A Structured Cabling Technician ↔ B Network Architect

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$57,570 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Low-Voltage Technician: license not checked yet.
Move 2, to Network Architect: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Network Architect hold one).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Structured Cabling Technician to Low-Voltage Technician -$16,370 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.83 (same lateral rule, started from this rung; target is the related occupation's role nearest this rung's level band).
- Gates: license not checked yet.
- Skills to build: Repairing, Troubleshooting, Systems Analysis
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Low-Voltage Technician to Network Architect +$73,940 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Computer Network Architects as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.70 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Network Architect hold one).

Side by side

All Computer Network Architects: Texas median $133,310, $57,570 more a year than all Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers ($75,740), every experience level.

Network Architect: 60% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2 times the share for Structured Cabling Technician (30%).

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

$75,740+$57,570$133,310

Gates on the route: Low-Voltage Technician: license not checked yet; Network Architect: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Network Architect hold one).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +4.3% Texas, 810 openings a year

B +23.4% Texas, 1,100 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

30%+30 pts60%

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

3.5 / 5-1.91.6 / 5

Outdoors, all weather-3.35Outdoors, all weather: A 4.95, B 1.6
Very hot or cold-2.98Very hot or cold: A 4.43, B 1.45
Hazardous equipment-2.33Hazardous equipment: A 3.68, B 1.35
High places-2.08High places: A 3.48, B 1.4
Bending or twisting-2.08Bending or twisting: A 3.63, B 1.55

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 2% do).

B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 65%).

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 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).

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: 35%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Quality Control Analysis
Monitoring
Time Management
Operations Monitoring
Service Orientation
Social Perceptiveness

To build: 6

Programming +2.50
Systems Evaluation +1.76
Systems Analysis +1.50
Technology Design +1.37
Writing +1.12
Complex Problem Solving +1.00

Make this your goal

Save Structured Cabling Technician to Network Architect 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.