Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between field operations technicians and field service 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 operations technician, becoming a field service technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a field service technician has an average salary of $54,339, which is higher than the $38,663 average annual salary of a field operations technician.
The top three skills for a field operations technician include OSHA, CDL and DOT. The most important skills for a field service technician are customer service, preventative maintenance, and customer satisfaction.
| Field Operations Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,663 | $54,339 |
| Hourly rate | $18.59 | $26.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 122,864 | 167,298 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Field operations technicians handle all on-site activities of services or operations provided or done by a company. The field operations technician is responsible for accomplishing daily tasks set by the company or requested by a client or customer. Companies that provide field operations technicians are telecommunication services, where cables are required, plumbing, electricians, and the like. The field operation technician is essential personnel in a service-oriented company. This person is directly engaging with the customer and, in the end, develop trust.
Field service technicians are skilled professionals who manage the technical needs of their clients outside the company's physical office space. They are usually on the field to visit their clients and check up on clients' equipment. Field service technicians are dispatched to provide technical support. They oversee installations, repairs, or maintenance activities. They ensure that all the work needed is done well. They also conduct diagnostic activities and troubleshooting. Field service technicians also supervise any updating or changes needed to be done in their clients' offices. They are expected to have good analytical skills, communication skills, and highly technical skills.
Field operations technicians and field service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Operations Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,663 | $54,339 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $51,000 | Between $35,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lakewood, CO | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Basin Electric Power Cooperative | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a field operations technician and a field service technician in terms of educational background:
| Field Operations Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | - |
Here are the differences between field operations technicians' and field service technicians' demographics:
| Field Operations Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 1% |