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The differences between field engineers and technical services 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 technical services engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a technical services engineer has an average salary of $81,204, 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 technical services engineer are customer service, technical support, and technical service.
| Field Engineer | Technical Services Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,874 | $81,204 |
| Hourly rate | $34.55 | $39.04 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 86,015 | 217,103 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
A technical services engineer is responsible for assisting customers on their systems and network issues, providing them the best technical solutions, and guiding them on step-by-step procedures for troubleshooting. Technical services engineers must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially on identifying customers' system failures by asking them a few questions. They also escalate high-level complaints to internal teams, ensuring that they present the client's issues for reference. A technical services engineer also handles systems configuration and recommending process improvement techniques to optimize network infrastructure.
Field engineers and technical services engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Engineer | Technical Services Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,874 | $81,204 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $99,000 | Between $57,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field engineer and a technical services engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Engineer | Technical Services Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Chemical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between field engineers' and technical services engineers' demographics:
| Field Engineer | Technical Services Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% | Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0% |
| 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, 11.4% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |