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The differences between commercial service 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 commercial service technician and a field service technician. Additionally, a field service technician has an average salary of $54,339, which is higher than the $49,463 average annual salary of a commercial service technician.
The top three skills for a commercial service technician include OSHA, service vehicle and ladders. The most important skills for a field service technician are customer service, preventative maintenance, and customer satisfaction.
| Commercial Service Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,463 | $54,339 |
| Hourly rate | $23.78 | $26.12 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 216,958 | 167,298 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A commercial service technician is responsible for maintaining and repairing mechanical equipment and machinery for private households and commercial establishments. Commercial service technicians inspect the conditions and stability of mechanical components to identify defects and possible part replacements. They also install and assemble equipment, requiring them to have critical analysis to follow blueprints and schematics. A commercial service technician must have excellent mechanical and organizational skills, especially in recommending efficient resources and prevent breakdown reoccurrence.
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.
Commercial service technicians and field service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Service Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,463 | $54,339 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $74,000 | Between $35,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Broken Arrow, OK | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | SoCalGas | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a commercial service technician and a field service technician in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Service Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between commercial service technicians' and field service technicians' demographics:
| Commercial Service Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.6% Female, 3.4% | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 Percentage | 1% | 1% |