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Field installation technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a field installation technician. Field installation technicians usually study electrical engineering, business, or computer science. 37% of field installation technicians hold a associate degree, and 29% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,135 real field installation technician resumes to see exactly what field installation technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for field installation technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

There are also many online field installation technician courses to help get the education required to be a field installation technician.

There are certain field installation technician certifications that you should consider. These field installation technician certifications include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

What education do you need to become a field installation technician?

What degree do you need to be a field installation technician?

The most common degree for field installation technicians is associate degree, with 37% of field installation technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 20%.
  • Associate, 37%
  • Bachelor's, 29%
  • High School Diploma, 20%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a field installation technician?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a field installation technician. 22% of field installation technicians major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a field installation technician include business and computer science.

Most common colleges for field installation technicians

Field installation technicians often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and Troy University. Here are the most common colleges for field installation technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Field installation technician common collegePercentages
DeVry University15.09%
University of Phoenix11.32%
Troy University5.66%
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities5.66%
Wentworth Institute of Technology5.66%

Best majors for field installation technicians

Best colleges for field installation technicians

The best colleges for field installation technicians are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A field installation technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for field installation technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become field installation technicians.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Enrollment

24,841

5. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,785

Enrollment

7,711

6. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

7. Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$40,749

Enrollment

2,582

8. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

9. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

20 best online courses for field installation technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for field installation technicians

The most affordable schools for field installation technicians are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for field installation technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for field installation technicians.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for field installation technicians

The hardest universities for field installation technicians to get into are Northeastern University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for field installation technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for field installation technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for field installation technicians

The easiest schools for field installation technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a field installation technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for field installation technicians.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

4. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

5. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

7. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

8. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

9. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average field installation technician salary by education level

According to our data, field installation technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,399 annually. Field installation technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $42,243.
Field installation technician education levelField installation technician salary
Master's Degree$45,399
High School Diploma or Less$39,839
Bachelor's Degree$41,010
Some College/ Associate Degree$42,243

Field installation technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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