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The differences between field support engineers and product support engineers 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 product support engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a field support engineer has an average salary of $96,499, which is higher than the $90,379 average annual salary of a product support engineer.
The top three skills for a field support engineer include technical support, troubleshoot and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a product support engineer are product support, technical support, and troubleshoot.
| Field Support Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,499 | $90,379 |
| Hourly rate | $46.39 | $43.45 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 174,765 | 201,554 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
A product support engineer is responsible for resolving technical issues of end-users regarding the products and services offered by the company. Product support engineers conduct troubleshooting operations for system failures and write resolution reports for reference. They also support the product analysts in improving the product's features and processes to prevent the reoccurrence of defects and maintain optimal performance. A product support engineer designs automation procedures and runs multiple diagnostic tests to ensure high-quality outputs and avoid operational delays.
Field support engineers and product support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Support Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,499 | $90,379 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $142,000 | Between $67,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field support engineer and a product support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Support Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between field support engineers' and product support engineers' demographics:
| Field Support Engineer | Product Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 13.0% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |