Compare A Fiber Optic Technician ↔ B Telecommunications Systems Engineer
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1 move · +$57,570 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Telecommunications Systems Engineer: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Fiber Optic Technician to Telecommunications Systems Engineer +$57,570 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Telecommunications Engineering Specialists as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Side by side
All Telecommunications Engineering Specialists: Texas median $133,310, $57,570 more a year than all Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers ($75,740), every experience level.
Telecommunications Systems Engineer: 48% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.6 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
Gates checked: No degree, license or hours gate on these moves in O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for each job.
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
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
3.5 / 5-1.02.5 / 5
- Very hot or cold-1.88Very hot or cold: A 4.43, B 2.55
- Outdoors, all weather-1.79Outdoors, all weather: A 4.95, B 3.16
- Hazardous equipment-1.75Hazardous equipment: A 3.68, B 1.93
- Bending or twisting-1.34Bending or twisting: A 3.63, B 2.29
- Cramped space-1.31Cramped space: A 3.57, B 2.26
Degree
A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 2% do).
B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 32% do).
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: 39%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Time Management
- Operations Monitoring
To build: 6
- Instructing +1.00
- Learning Strategies +1.00
- Systems Analysis +1.00
- Systems Evaluation +1.00
- Persuasion +0.88
- Reading Comprehension +0.88
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Save Fiber Optic Technician to Telecommunications Systems Engineer 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.
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