What is a Telecom Tower Technician?
Telecom tower technicians are people who specialize in the installation, servicing, maintenance, and decommissioning of cell phone towers. They work with a variety of hardware, including coaxial cables, antenna, radios, and fiber-optic cables.
Telecom companies need telecom tower technicians to ensure that their networks remain operational. Without the services of tower technicians, firms would not be able to maintain network service or coverage for customers.
Responsibilities of a Telecom Tower Technician
Telecom tower technicians have a variety of responsibilities. These include:
- Ensuring on-site safety and complying with safety standards
- Conducting repairs to telecom towers at a height
- Reporting on possible hazards on telecom towers
- Following work checklists and ensure operational compliance
- Following instructions set out by the scope of work and methods of procedures (MOPs)
- Completing work to customer specifications
- Troubleshooting tower issues
- Expanding network coverage
- Performing equipment swaps and site upgrades
Qualification & Skills of Telecom Tower Technician
Most companies usually ask that telecom tower technicians have some form of post-secondary education in electronics, telecommunications, or computing. Training in a technical college or an associate degree in electronics repair or computer science can be especially helpful.
Some companies will offer new recruits on-site training to bring them up to speed with the day-to-day operational requirements of being a skilled telecom tower technician. Others, however, may require that candidates have between one and two years of experience climbing towers before taking them on.
Telecom tower technicians also need to be able to work outside of regular business hours, have excellent administrative and oral communication skills, and understand how to use basic mechanical tools.
Job Outlook
Becoming a telecom tower technician on a freelance basis offers a variety of benefits. The main advantage is being able to choose when you work. As freelancers, telecom tower technicians can choose the hours that fit best with their lifestyle.
Freelancers also get to choose who they work for. A telecom tower technician may only want to work for a telecom provider in a specific state or one that can offer a particular pay rate.
Finally, working as a freelance telecom tower technician gives workers the freedom to work for multiple clients, keeping the work varied and exciting, and helping to diversify employment risk.
Salary for a Telecom Tower Technician
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the average tower technician makes around $56000 per year or $27.43 per hour. Salaries range from as low as $31,190 to as high as $78,930, depending on the firm and the technician’s level of experience.
Typically, freelance technicians can charge more on an hourly basis.
Field Engineer Helps to Connect Businesses and Telecom Tower Technicians
Field Engineer is helping both telecom tower technicians and telecom businesses by connecting the two. Telecom businesses can now hire the telecom tower technicians they need on-demand using the FE platform. Field Engineer makes it easy for firms to scale their labor requirements for major upgrades and installations, and then reduce wage expenditure when work is complete.
Field Engineer is also helping telecom tower technicians earn higher rates and connect with multiple telecom providers, enabling them to become independent freelancers who set their own schedule. As a telecom tower technician, If you’re looking to get hired by employers, sign-up for free at Field Engineer.
