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The differences between field support engineers and support analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a field support engineer and a support analyst. Additionally, a field support engineer has an average salary of $96,499, which is higher than the $75,989 average annual salary of a support analyst.
The top three skills for a field support engineer include technical support, troubleshoot and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a support analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.
| Field Support Engineer | Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $96,499 | $75,989 |
| Hourly rate | $46.39 | $36.53 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 174,765 | 107,039 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
The role of support analysts is to resolve problems with hardware, computer programs, and peripherals. They may focus on a particular aspect of the information technology (IT) department or give technical support to end-users. They mainly detect issues with IT equipment and software and devise solutions to resolve these issues. Also, they are responsible for answering queries from users, preparing service records, and handling escalations. Support analysts also support the company's IT operations and best practices by creating and distributing relevant IT documents.
Field support engineers and support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Support Engineer | Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $96,499 | $75,989 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $142,000 | Between $50,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a field support engineer and a support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Field Support Engineer | Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between field support engineers' and support analysts' demographics:
| Field Support Engineer | Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 12.9% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |