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The differences between field support engineers and technician support tiers 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 technician support tier. Additionally, a field support engineer has an average salary of $96,499, which is higher than the $54,889 average annual salary of a technician support tier.
The top three skills for a field support engineer include technical support, troubleshoot and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a technician support tier are customer service, technical support, and phone calls.
| Field Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Yearly salary | $96,499 | $54,889 |
| Hourly rate | $46.39 | $26.39 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 174,765 | 109,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| 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.
A technician support tier focuses on providing technical support to clients or employees within a company. Typically working in a team setting, a technician support tier addresses technical problems and troubleshoots to identify the root of the issues and perform necessary corrective measures or repairs. Their responsibilities also revolve around responding to inquiries, answering calls and correspondence, conducting regular maintenance of systems and networks, maintaining records of all transactions, and supporting software and networks. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all team members while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Field support engineers and technician support tiers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Average salary | $96,499 | $54,889 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $142,000 | Between $38,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Benicia, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | Scantron |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field support engineer and a technician support tier in terms of educational background:
| Field Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 37% |
| 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 technician support tiers' demographics:
| Field Support Engineer | Technician Support Tier | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |