Compare A Structured Cabling Technician ↔ B Telecommunications Systems Engineer

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Your route

2 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: no single published pay schedule names every stop, and the occupation medians are not like for like on every move.

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Fiber Optic Technician: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 2, 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
Structured Cabling Technician to Fiber Optic Technician
- Same O*NET occupation (49-9052.00 Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers): O*NET lists both job titles under it; same tasks and skills data.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Fiber Optic Technician to Telecommunications Systems Engineer
- 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 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 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

30%+18 pts48%

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

Make this your goal

Save Structured Cabling 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.