Now Hiring -Day Wireless Systems

[DWSChristy]

Maybe my So Cal location has a higher cost of living than where these jobs are offered but the pay seems lower than what I would expect for some of the senior positions.

Understanding RF is almost dead, because LMR is almost dead.

It went from big radios with tiny computers to big computers with rf as an afterthought link. RF is swaptronics of black boxes. Autotune failed? Run it again, then box it up to send to the depot.

I just came out of a government shop. You need to understand IP; bad range? Start replacing stuff until it works right. They didn't know how to pay us because they didn't understand what we did. I am applying for jobs that accept a NABER certificate. NABER hasn't even been around since like 2002. HR has no idea what to even put in the job ads. What I see around my region is that LMR / Public Safety radio tech jobs fall into two buckets; the big bucket is I can install remote starts and locks and light bars oh and radios, too. (usually poorly and with a lot of taps) The other is I sit in a network center and monitor... things.

I went and looked at what a gallon of gas costs, and what rent costs in CA. That seems very very low for a technical job.

OOH! I see some clouds to yell at.

Thanks! I will update our HR/recruiting department that they have outdated certs on some of their listings. I will also see if I can get the hourly rate updated for Senior Techs as I don't believe those listings are right for California.

 

[DWSChristy]

$23-$25/hr in CA for experienced hires sounds awfully low.

I agree with you. I think the listing for California is incorrect for Senior Techs.

 

[xmo]

$25/hr is nuts for any kind of tech. Anywhere.

In California, they're starting to pay fast-food workers $20/hr just to get someone to take the job & show up for work.

Take a look at the ETA list of competencies for technicians. Compare it to "would you like fries with that?" Sheesh!

 

[prcguy]

$25/hr is nuts for any kind of tech. Anywhere.

In California, they're starting to pay fast-food workers $20/hr just to get someone to take the job & show up for work.

Take a look at the ETA list of competencies for technicians. Compare it to "would you like fries with that?" Sheesh!

Hey, the burger folks have to learn how to use the deep fryer. That takes lots of training.

 

[WB5UOM]

One cheeseburge,medium fries and a large Coke. That will be $67.43 at the 1st window please.....

 

[12dbsinad]

Understanding RF is almost dead, because LMR is almost dead.

It went from big radios with tiny computers to big computers with rf as an afterthought link. RF is swaptronics of black boxes. Autotune failed? Run it again, then box it up to send to the depot.

I just came out of a government shop. You need to understand IP; bad range? Start replacing stuff until it works right. They didn't know how to pay us because they didn't understand what we did. I am applying for jobs that accept a NABER certificate. NABER hasn't even been around since like 2002. HR has no idea what to even put in the job ads. What I see around my region is that LMR / Public Safety radio tech jobs fall into two buckets; the big bucket is I can install remote starts and locks and light bars oh and radios, too. (usually poorly and with a lot of taps) The other is I sit in a network center and monitor... things.

I went and looked at what a gallon of gas costs, and what rent costs in CA. That seems very very low for a technical job.

OOH! I see some clouds to yell at.

Understanding RF is dead? What do you think LTE and every other wireless service runs on? Fairy dust and unicorn piss? Apparently you have NO idea how much engineering goes into 1 cell site from re-use of frequencies all the way down to co-located intermod studies. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Understanding RF and LMR are not at all solely related.

 

[nd5y]

Maybe all the good prospective employees don't want to work for, to put it politely, dishonest people.

 

[MTS2000des]

The problem is we (the USA) aren't producing a labor force of skilled tradesworkers, mainly because many industries are now outsourced and products and services from raw to retail are all done outside our borders. In short, those "rich men north of Richmond" sold us out decades ago and this is the result.

We pump out people with useless degrees but no one knows how to turn a wrench, troubleshoot a circuit, or think critically. RF is the fabric that connects us all today, but most of the current workforce don't even know it exists. Finding someone with skill, experience and passion for $25 bucks an hour? Good luck with that. The Chick-Fil-A managers here get $30-40 an hour plus bonuses, and every Sunday off.

 

[WB5UOM]

I can see where "rf is dead" might be from..
this goes back a long way to 2001...yes 2001....I had worked for the Company that installed and maintained the 2nd ever MDT system for the Combined City and County(Ft. Worth was 1st) by Electrocom.
I took over the contract when I started my own Business and in 2001 they decided to go to another system.
I asked the Police Chief was I going to be able to take care of it for them, and he replied, " No it has nothing to do with radio its all wireless"

 

[mastr]

I think most any good 2-way radio tech with trouble shooting skills and some experience with RF, feedlines and antennas could make it in the satellite broadcast industry as a maintenance tech...

If you don't mind odd hours and travel, running an uplink truck might be a good job. I met one of those guys a while back when the truck's diesel generator wouldn't start. I asked him if he would accept a "not what the book says" fix and the reply was "whatever the $%^& you can do to get us on the air, do it". About 5 minutes later, the diesel was doing its thing and he was in full recruitment mode- the wage offered was impressive, of course YMMV.

 

[surfacemount]

went and looked at that certificate. two blocks architecture and connectivity. You'd think connectivity, that's us! RF!

Here's the list:

• Differentiate cable and connector types
• Understand basic TCP/IP networking
• Be familiar with Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching in communication systems
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of different backhaul technologies
• Perform basic testing of links and backhaul systems
• Describe the need for and application of Security Protocols in communication systems
• Describe network and link testing, validation, and troubleshooting best practice

Perform basic testing! That's it. Actual engineers devote their lives to that field, but all you need is cable and connector types and perform basic testing of the 'links'.

Understanding RF is dead? What do you think LTE and every other wireless service runs on? Fairy dust and unicorn piss? Apparently you have NO idea how much engineering goes into 1 cell site from re-use of frequencies all the way down to co-located intermod studies. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Understanding RF and LMR are not at all solely related.

I guess it does. In 1989, near Knoxville, there was at least 5 different radio shops that did 90% LMR, and the occasional public safety vehicle uplift. Try to find a "RF" job without the word engineer attached to it now. I'll wait. BITE has just about replaced the "RF tech". Instead of a factory full of skilled labor, there is a row of robots and one guy to stick a thermometer in their asses periodically. It's dangerous, shortsighted, but that's where we are at.
(PS-I had a side job working for US Cellular in the AMPS era; I know how many field engineers they needed then. With computer modeling and the tower sites characterized... do you see a contractor with a PIM sensor doing surveys as a growth field?)

The problem is we (the USA) aren't producing a labor force of skilled tradesworkers, mainly because many industries are now outsourced and products and services from raw to retail are all done outside our borders. In short, those "rich men north of Richmond" sold us out decades ago and this is the result.

We pump out people with useless degrees but no one knows how to turn a wrench, troubleshoot a circuit, or think critically. RF is the fabric that connects us all today, but most of the current workforce don't even know it exists. Finding someone with skill, experience and passion for $25 bucks an hour? Good luck with that. The Chick-Fil-A managers here get $30-40 an hour plus bonuses, and every Sunday off.

This. every bit of it. Relying on the appliance to tell us where it hurts is a very dangerous way to run mission critical systems, but that's where it appears where we are at. Look at how antennas have been treated over the last fifteen years. Not in my backyard, not on my mobile subscriber unit, but it is WHAT LINKS THEM TOGETHER.

I can see where "rf is dead" might be from..
this goes back a long way to 2001...yes 2001....I had worked for the Company that installed and maintained the 2nd ever MDT system for the Combined City and County(Ft. Worth was 1st) by Electrocom.
I took over the contract when I started my own Business and in 2001 they decided to go to another system.
I asked the Police Chief was I going to be able to take care of it for them, and he replied, " No it has nothing to do with radio its all wireless"

This is what happens when kids don't have to grow up adjusting rabbit ears with aluminum flags.
But yes, that's been my experience as well. People cutting off aerials and tying them in knots because they 'got in the way'. Radio with a stubby doesn't work well shoved in their back pocket. MAH CELL FONE DON'T HAVE NO ANTENNA

It's ok. picocells with self healing networking is going to put all of us out of work. lol

OP - sorry we hijacked your ad. I forwarded it in my little circles.

 

[TampaTyron]

Poor Christy....... hope you have thick skin buddy! Free bumps from Air Comm in PHX. TT

 

[DWSChristy]

Poor Christy....... hope you have thick skin buddy! Free bumps from Air Comm in PHX. TT

I am actually really thankful for all the feedback! Can't make any type of change without having the tough conversations. Thanks for the bumps though. Hope you are having good luck on your side.

 

[speedway_navigator]

I am applying for jobs that accept a NABER certificate. NABER hasn't even been around since like 2002.

I've reported those to the ETA so we can get our certs on their list.

 

[speedway_navigator]

My pay rate for HHS as a 0391 telecommunications officer was about $40 an hour as a GS-12 level 2. I went from working with a medical team to the logistics group that goes in before the teams but had to take a downgrade to GS-11 step 1 for a $6 an hour cut. I got a few more deployments in so that helped make up the difference.

I also worked with California medical teams as a radio tech called an associate telecom tech or engineer, can't find the pay scale now, that was about $39 an hour in 2020 during covid.

During an ETA instructors meeting a few months ago we discussed the problems trying to teach the younger generation, books are almost a waste of time. Those teaching at the college level say about 15-20 min of reading is the max, they want videos.

 

[MTS2000des]

During an ETA instructors meeting a few months ago we discussed the problems trying to teach the younger generation, books are almost a waste of time. Those teaching at the college level say about 15-20 min of reading is the max, they want videos.

This is the result of generations of humans raised by machines versus parenting. Attention spans become limited, critical thinking capability gets "turned off" in their "codeplugs" and they become reliant on the machine to spoon feed them in small doses, just enough to keep the machine happy.

It's not just a problem in the technical side of our industry. Finding capable and qualified persons with social skills and ability to take and dispatch 911 calls is a problem. Aside from the lack of work ethic many have, thinking they are just supposed to get a paycheck and not do anything, many applicants lack basic retention skills, ability to absorb training, and be able to properly interact with fellow humans.

This is a bigger problem than our industry. It is a human problem.

 

[PACNWDude]

Where I work, there is a separation between FM and AM radio. FM includes trunked P25 systems, Trbo systems, and the linking of everything via Zetron IP interface or Motorola Conventional Channel Gate-Way devices. AM does the aviation and testing of navigation aids. Starting pay is higher than the local radio shops max out in many cases, but the only expectation for a new hire is to have the General Radiotelephone Operator's License (GROL). It used to require an electronics related Associate's degree, but that was too hard to find (AAS and GROL). Once hired, work ethic is the problem, some personnel at some sites that think they can pick and choose the work they do, or whittle away at the job description, being "specialists" or "infrastructure support" trying to get out of doing vehicle installs.

The pay scale increases with inflation and maxes out at 6 years, so then guess what happens to work ethic. Management rarely even thinks of formal training, on-the-job training, or even routine training evolutions. Many sites are supported by "radio focal's", people at the site that may be voluntold to do so, or sometimes those that enjoy radio like amateur radio types, emergency communications types, or even military affiliates. The only job opening we have had in five years has been a current one for the AM side.....max pay is about $90k per year. AM does a lot of travel to airports and aircraft testing sites. I am told that overtime pay is offered, but the positions are salary (FM is hourly). The only real good part AM or FM technician wise are the benefits, which is like getting a pay raise in and of itself. Many employees get college paid for by the employer, then company stock when completing a degree program.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

We agrees with you. That's why we have partnered with the University of San Diego to create more radio techs. You can find out more about it here. Wireless Communications Technologist Certificate Program

I know someone who might benefit from this. But on the east coast. Seeing that is is online does that change anything including cost?