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The differences between electrical research engineers and field engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an electrical research engineer and a field engineer. Additionally, an electrical research engineer has an average salary of $85,767, which is higher than the $71,874 average annual salary of a field engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical research engineer include C++, electrical systems and MATLAB. The most important skills for a field engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Electrical Research Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,767 | $71,874 |
| Hourly rate | $41.23 | $34.55 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 76,225 | 86,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The electrical research engineers are responsible for conducting research, designing and developing new and innovative electrical products or systems, and evaluate them to improve existing technical processes. They have strong analytical and critical thinking skills and professional competency to perform intensive research and collaborate on standards for procedures, and design testing methods to identify problems and solutions. Being an electrical research engineer is essential to a company since the job involves innovation and development processes.
A field engineer's role will vary on the industry or line of work involved. However, the primary responsibility will mostly revolve around handling equipment and machinery, ensuring that they function effectively and safely. It is also the task of a field engineer to oversee the workflow and workforce, giving directions and recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, a field engineer must develop strategies and plans to improve the site's efficiency, produce progress reports, and coordinate with other workers.
Electrical research engineers and field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Research Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,767 | $71,874 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $112,000 | Between $51,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Energy |
There are a few differences between an electrical research engineer and a field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Research Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between electrical research engineers' and field engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Research Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 21.4% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |