Tower Climber

While there are job descriptions with the title Tower Climber in the personnel files of certain companies, the actual work performed by a tower climber is not merely scaling high towers and going back down.

The career outlook for a tower climber is very good. They make on average $18-$28 an hour.

The job is usually connected with facilities construction and maintenance services on tower-mounted equipment used by the owner of the tower in the normal conduct of the main business, such as telecommunications. It can also be connected with the erection of the tower itself.

For example, tower climbing may be looked upon as a major function of the person designated as Tower Climber for the purpose of erecting sensor towers for a telecommunications company. In this particular environment, the tower climber's responsibilities may include installation of generating sets, shelters, and other support structures at the top of, or around the base of the tower.

In other environments, the tower climber may actually be a tower hand, somebody who is tasked to help in whatever manual work being done at the tower by technical crew members who also climb towers but are not designated as such because of their more technical contribution to the overall effort of their employer.

The job of a tower climber may be considered green in the sense that it can influence the practice or policy of recycling or repurposing tower equipment or component that are retired from use after a certain time period. In the upcoming years, the US energy grid will be switching over to a "smart" grid. Tower climbers will play an instrumental role in the construction and the switch to a clean energy infrastructure.

A tower climber should be physically strong and healthy, capable of carrying or lifting a 50-pound load, can work outdoors, and has the ability and the desire to climb towers and other verticals up to 200 feet.

To be considered for the position of tower climber, a person has to have at least a High School diploma.

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