Compare A Fiber Optic Technician ↔ B Network Technician

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · -$8,960 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Audio Video Installer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Network Technician: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Network Technician hold one).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Fiber Optic Technician to Audio Video Installer -$27,970 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.76.
- Gates: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Equipment Selection, Repairing, Troubleshooting
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Audio Video Installer to Network Technician +$19,010 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Network Technician hold one).

Side by side

All Computer Network Support Specialists: Texas median $66,780, $8,960 less a year than all Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers ($75,740), every experience level.

Network Technician: 46% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.5 times the share for Fiber Optic Technician (30%).

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

$75,740-$8,960$66,780

Gates on the route: Audio Video Installer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common); Network Technician: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Network Technician hold one).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +4.3% Texas, 810 openings a year

B +12.4% Texas, 920 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

30%+16 pts46%

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

3.5 / 5-1.81.7 / 5

Outdoors, all weather-3.44Outdoors, all weather: A 4.95, B 1.51
Very hot or cold-2.99Very hot or cold: A 4.43, B 1.44
Hazardous equipment-2.37Hazardous equipment: A 3.68, B 1.31
High places-2.23High places: A 3.48, B 1.25
Climbing ladders-2.00Climbing ladders: A 3.26, B 1.26

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: 50%).

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 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 31%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 5

Monitoring
Speaking
Troubleshooting
Operations Monitoring
Time Management

To build: 6

Systems Evaluation +0.88
Systems Analysis +0.87
Active Learning +0.63
Critical Thinking +0.63
Active Listening +0.50
Writing +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Fiber Optic Technician to Network 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 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.