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Avionics Technicians vs Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers: what changes?

Consider Avionics Technicians if you want to install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles. Consider Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers if you would rather repair, install, or maintain mobile or stationary radio transmitting, broadcasting, and receiving equipment, and two-way radio communications systems used in cellular telecommunications, mobile broadband…. Entry credentials differ: Avionics Technicians, postsecondary nondegree award; Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers, associate's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Avionics Technicians and Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Avionics Technicians

National median pay (2025)
$82,280
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,700
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (19,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Avionics Technicians brief

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

National median pay (2025)
$63,520
Route into the job
Associate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Inspect completed work to ensure all hardware is tight, antennas are level, hangers are properly fastened, proper support is in place, or adequate weather proofing has been installed.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
1,000
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (11,300 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Avionics Technicians has the edge on projected growth

Avionics Technicians is at 9.4% projected growth, compared with 1.2% projected growth for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.

2

Avionics Technicians has the edge on median pay

Avionics Technicians is at $82,280, compared with $63,520 for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.

3

Avionics Technicians has the edge on annual openings

Avionics Technicians is at 1,700 annual openings, compared with 1,000 annual openings for Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers.

61.1/ 100

Avionics Technicians

vs
37.8/ 100

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Avionics Technicians vs Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers

DimensionAvionics TechniciansRadio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Median pay (2025)$82,280$63,520
Pay percentile74.3 percentile54.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)9.4%1.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)1,7001,000
2025 employment19,80011,300
How you qualifyPostsecondary nondegree awardAssociate's degree; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 3Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Avionics Technicians briefRead Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers brief

Try another comparison

Avionics Technicians vs Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Avionics Technicians
$82,280 · 9.4% growth
Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers
$52,600 · 4.8% growth
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Avionics Technicians vs HVAC Technician

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Avionics Technicians
$82,280 · 9.4% growth
HVAC Technician
$61,010 · 10.9% growth
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Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers vs Medical Equipment Repairers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
$63,520 · 1.2% growth
Medical Equipment Repairers
$61,660 · 12.6% growth
Compare careers →

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers vs Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
$63,520 · 1.2% growth
Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers
$52,600 · 4.8% growth
Compare careers →
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