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The differences between field service technicians and system technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a field service technician, becoming a system technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a field service technician has an average salary of $54,339, which is higher than the $43,410 average annual salary of a system technician.
The top three skills for a field service technician include customer service, preventative maintenance and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a system technician are customer service, hand tools, and preventative maintenance.
| Field Service Technician | System Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,339 | $43,410 |
| Hourly rate | $26.12 | $20.87 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 167,298 | 137,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
A system technician is an individual responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members. They should carry out tests on the system so that they can generate error reports to identify and fix any computer system problems. System technicians also can write and maintain computer programs and work with computers and electronics, including circuit boards, computer hardware and software, and computer processors.
Field service technicians and system technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Service Technician | System Technician | |
| Average salary | $54,339 | $43,410 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $82,000 | Between $27,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a field service technician and a system technician in terms of educational background:
| Field Service Technician | System Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between field service technicians' and system technicians' demographics:
| Field Service Technician | System Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 9% |