Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between field engineers and senior field service engineers 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 senior field service engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior field service engineer has an average salary of $87,414, which is higher than the $71,874 average annual salary of a field engineer.
The top three skills for a field engineer include customer service, customer satisfaction and project management. The most important skills for a senior field service engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and preventive maintenance.
| Field Engineer | Senior Field Service Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,874 | $87,414 |
| Hourly rate | $34.55 | $42.03 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 86,015 | 111,380 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
Senior Field Service Engineers are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of equipment. Their duties include installing equipment that complies with technical specifications, coordinating preventative maintenance, calibrating tools, test equipment, manage the contract tendering process, and conduct field modifications. They also assist in the ordering of repair parts as well as organizing service records and customer logs. Senior Filed Service Engineers works to ensure that work deliverable adheres to all regulatory requirements and health and safety protocols.
Field engineers and senior field service engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Engineer | Senior Field Service Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,874 | $87,414 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $99,000 | Between $66,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Canon |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a field engineer and a senior field service engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Engineer | Senior Field Service Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between field engineers' and senior field service engineers' demographics:
| Field Engineer | Senior Field Service Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |