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The differences between field support engineers 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 support engineer, becoming a field service technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a field support engineer has an average salary of $96,499, which is higher than the $54,339 average annual salary of a field service technician.
The top three skills for a field support engineer include technical support, troubleshoot and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a field service technician are customer service, preventative maintenance, and customer satisfaction.
| Field Support Engineer | Field Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $96,499 | $54,339 |
| Hourly rate | $46.39 | $26.12 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 174,765 | 167,298 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Field support engineers are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for providing on-site functions for the network systems of clients. These engineers must assist their clients in solving complex technical issues to reduce the occurrence of network connectivity issues. They must perform routine maintenance checkups to ensure that the network systems of their clients are operating consistently and efficiently. Field support engineers are also required to offer guidance and training to the client personnel to educate them about the operation of the product as well as maintenance procedures.
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 support engineers and field service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Support Engineer | Field Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $96,499 | $54,339 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $142,000 | Between $35,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a field support engineer and a field service technician in terms of educational background:
| Field Support Engineer | Field Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between field support engineers' and field service technicians' demographics:
| Field Support Engineer | Field Service Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 1% |