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The differences between field sales engineers and sales/account representatives 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 sales/account representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a field sales engineer has an average salary of $90,950, which is higher than the $56,954 average annual salary of a sales/account representative.
The top three skills for a field sales engineer include HVAC, customer satisfaction and technical support. The most important skills for a sales/account representative are customer service, CRM, and sales process.
| Field Sales Engineer | Sales/Account Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $90,950 | $56,954 |
| Hourly rate | $43.73 | $27.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 85,486 | 257,122 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects. They work on upselling or cross-selling products and services, collaborating with account executives, and prepare reports to upper management. This job requires you to be a goal-driven person, energetic, and have excellent communication skills. Moreover, this is a challenging job; at times, it requires being extra polite and calm in handling customer complaints and other related situations.
Field sales engineers and sales/account representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Sales Engineer | Sales/Account Representative | |
| Average salary | $90,950 | $56,954 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $125,000 | Between $39,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Olympia, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Vuzix | Smartsheet |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field sales engineer and a sales/account representative in terms of educational background:
| Field Sales Engineer | Sales/Account Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between field sales engineers' and sales/account representatives' demographics:
| Field Sales Engineer | Sales/Account Representative | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.1% Female, 9.9% | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |