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Field support representative vs technical support specialist

The differences between field support representatives and technical support specialists 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 representative and a technical support specialist. Additionally, a technical support specialist has an average salary of $48,667, which is higher than the $35,051 average annual salary of a field support representative.

The top three skills for a field support representative include ROS, quality customer service and FSR. The most important skills for a technical support specialist are customer service, technical support, and troubleshoot.

Field support representative vs technical support specialist overview

Field Support RepresentativeTechnical Support Specialist
Yearly salary$35,051$48,667
Hourly rate$16.85$23.40
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs114,169157,425
Job satisfaction-4.6
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a field support representative do?

The duties of a field support representative typically depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In businesses, they are typically in charge of providing customer support and service by responding to inquiries and concerns, resolving issues promptly and efficiently. They may also install and maintain equipment, perform regular maintenance checks, and conduct repairs when needed. Furthermore, as a field support representative, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a technical support specialist do?

A technical support specialist is responsible for assisting customer's and businesses' concerns and system issues by performing troubleshooting and remote solutions. These specialists must have extensive knowledge of system applications, including software and hardware database to handle complex processes that might affect the end user's experience or the business' daily operations. Technical support specialists should maintain excellent communication skills to guide the client and business on solving network problems. They must also document concerns and progress promptly for reference and quality checks.

Field support representative vs technical support specialist salary

Field support representatives and technical support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field Support RepresentativeTechnical Support Specialist
Average salary$35,051$48,667
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $53,000Between $30,000 And $76,000
Highest paying CityPhiladelphia, PASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew HampshireNew Jersey
Best paying companyHPMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingFinance

Differences between field support representative and technical support specialist education

There are a few differences between a field support representative and a technical support specialist in terms of educational background:

Field Support RepresentativeTechnical Support Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorBusinessComputer Science
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Field support representative vs technical support specialist demographics

Here are the differences between field support representatives' and technical support specialists' demographics:

Field Support RepresentativeTechnical Support Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 62.6% Female, 37.4%Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between field support representative and technical support specialist duties and responsibilities

Field support representative example responsibilities.

  • Manage all ACH files being send to companies, monitor all payments on hold due to compliance issues.
  • Manage mental health portion of health insurance policies including Medicaid and Medicare and other commercial insurance plans nationwide.
  • Provide technical, billing and sales support to RF service personnel.
  • Produce weekly vacation schedules for all Nashville sites as well as reports on FSR movements and progress.
  • Provide JADOCS surge support for multiple exercises and training throughout the U.S. various needs location throughout DoD.
  • Instruct FSR's on the proper policies and procedures, company requirements and technical information relate to performing their duties.
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Technical support specialist example responsibilities.

  • Implement hardware and software upgrades and maintain stability, usability, and security for desktop/laptop/mobile systems; achieve SLA's.
  • Manage all operating end-user software including JavaScript - updating/installing Java.
  • Install, configure and manage proprietary applications on Unix servers.
  • Manage large-scale PC deployments including site surveys involving verification of network activity and appropriate power availability.
  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Deploy and troubleshoot complex software installations in Microsoft and Linux environments.
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Field support representative vs technical support specialist skills

Common field support representative skills
  • ROS, 22%
  • Quality Customer Service, 13%
  • FSR, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 8%
  • Windows, 6%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common technical support specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Technical Support, 10%
  • Troubleshoot, 8%
  • Math, 4%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 3%
  • Phone Calls, 3%

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