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The differences between field engineers and field technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a field engineer, becoming a field technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a field engineer has an average salary of $71,874, which is higher than the $37,520 average annual salary of a field technician.
The top three skills for a field engineer include customer service, customer satisfaction and project management. The most important skills for a field technician are customer service, ladders, and test equipment.
| Field Engineer | Field Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $71,874 | $37,520 |
| Hourly rate | $34.55 | $18.04 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 86,015 | 123,149 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
A field technician is responsible for providing technical and maintenance support for the customers by area visits. Field technicians' duties include diagnosing technical problems, replacing malfunction components, upgrading systems for efficiency, running equipment tests to ensure stability, creating draft reports of performed processes, utilizing vehicles and other tools safely, following client's specifications on operating equipment, and adhering to the safety standards. A field technician must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the technological industry.
Field engineers and field technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Engineer | Field Technician | |
| Average salary | $71,874 | $37,520 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $99,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | DCP Midstream |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a field engineer and a field technician in terms of educational background:
| Field Engineer | Field Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between field engineers' and field technicians' demographics:
| Field Engineer | Field Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 1% |