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The differences between field support engineers and specialist field 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 specialist field engineer takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a field support engineer has an average salary of $96,499, which is higher than the $56,430 average annual salary of a specialist field engineer.
The top three skills for a field support engineer include technical support, troubleshoot and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a specialist field engineer are oil gas, technical support, and customer support.
| Field Support Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,499 | $56,430 |
| Hourly rate | $46.39 | $27.13 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 174,765 | 85,618 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 8 |
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 specialist field engineer works in construction areas or factories. They conduct on-site research, diagnose machinery problems, and make repairs. They also install new systems as necessary. They prepare purchase agreements, confidentiality agreements, and reports.
Field support engineers and specialist field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Support Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,499 | $56,430 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $142,000 | Between $40,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a field support engineer and a specialist field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Support Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between field support engineers' and specialist field engineers' demographics:
| Field Support Engineer | Specialist Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0% |
| 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, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |