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Bench technician vs field service technician

The differences between bench technicians and field service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a bench technician and a field service technician. Additionally, a field service technician has an average salary of $54,339, which is higher than the $41,317 average annual salary of a bench technician.

The top three skills for a bench technician include troubleshoot, PC and windows. The most important skills for a field service technician are customer service, preventative maintenance, and customer satisfaction.

Bench technician vs field service technician overview

Bench TechnicianField Service Technician
Yearly salary$41,317$54,339
Hourly rate$19.86$26.12
Growth rate-8%
Number of jobs79,375167,298
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 55%Associate Degree, 40%
Average age5044
Years of experience1212

What does a bench technician do?

A Bench Technician specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing electronic equipment and machinery. Although the extent of their responsibilities primarily depends on their place or employment industry, it typically includes conducting inspections and assessments, programming and troubleshooting systems, replacing and fixing components, and producing progress reports as needed. Moreover, a Bench Technician must maintain an active communication line with co-workers while adhering to its safety standards and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.

What does a field service technician do?

Field service technicians are skilled professionals who manage the technical needs of their clients outside the company's physical office space. They are usually on the field to visit their clients and check up on clients' equipment. Field service technicians are dispatched to provide technical support. They oversee installations, repairs, or maintenance activities. They ensure that all the work needed is done well. They also conduct diagnostic activities and troubleshooting. Field service technicians also supervise any updating or changes needed to be done in their clients' offices. They are expected to have good analytical skills, communication skills, and highly technical skills.

Bench technician vs field service technician salary

Bench technicians and field service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Bench TechnicianField Service Technician
Average salary$41,317$54,339
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $57,000Between $35,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Google
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between bench technician and field service technician education

There are a few differences between a bench technician and a field service technician in terms of educational background:

Bench TechnicianField Service Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 55%Associate Degree, 40%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern University-

Bench technician vs field service technician demographics

Here are the differences between bench technicians' and field service technicians' demographics:

Bench TechnicianField Service Technician
Average age5044
Gender ratioMale, 89.4% Female, 10.6%Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage8%1%

Differences between bench technician and field service technician duties and responsibilities

Bench technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead small teams in the development and installation of residential and commercial electrical and HVAC systems to include smart home systems.
  • Trouble-shoot and repair all boards to component level using oscilloscopes DMM's and spectrum analyzers.
  • Place fine pitch IC's and other parts as needed.
  • Repair pads and trace connectors on modems.
  • Repair and replace components within all iPhone models.
  • Experience reworking fine pitch devices and BGA components.
  • Show more

Field service technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage onsite supporting contractors to achieve customers end result to satisfaction.
  • Lead initiatives to decrease manufacturing downtime and increase QA process inspection.
  • Manage a team of 12 field engineers and 130 MRI systems in NYC.
  • Collaborate to achieve a Citrix solution for the IADC shop floor and implement the current server farm.
  • Manage and administer network security, LAN, WLAN, desktops, servers, applications, and databases.
  • Manage and service access control technology to include Honeywell's StarII and TEMA, and PCSC MicroLPM and IQ series controllers.
  • Show more

Bench technician vs field service technician skills

Common bench technician skills
  • Troubleshoot, 13%
  • PC, 8%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Circuit Boards, 6%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
  • Component Level Repair, 4%
Common field service technician skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 8%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Hand Tools, 4%
  • Test Equipment, 3%

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