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The differences between field sales engineers and field engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a field sales engineer, becoming a field engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a field sales engineer has an average salary of $90,950, which is higher than the $71,874 average annual salary of a field engineer.
The top three skills for a field sales engineer include HVAC, customer satisfaction and technical support. The most important skills for a field engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Field Sales Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,950 | $71,874 |
| Hourly rate | $43.73 | $34.55 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 85,486 | 86,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Usually, a field sales engineer prepares and delivers technical representations explaining a company's products or services to clients. Field sales engineers confer with engineers and customers for the assessment of the necessary equipment and in the identification of the required system. They conduct research and report the status of engineering projects. It is the duty of the field engineers to ensure everything in the field works efficiently and smoothly and that the engineering designs are followed.
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.
Field sales engineers and field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Sales Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,950 | $71,874 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $125,000 | Between $51,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Vuzix | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a field sales engineer and a field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Sales Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between field sales engineers' and field engineers' demographics:
| Field Sales Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 77.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |