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The differences between field support specialists and technical support engineers 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 specialist and a technical support engineer. Additionally, a technical support engineer has an average salary of $85,716, which is higher than the $42,023 average annual salary of a field support specialist.
The top three skills for a field support specialist include technical support, customer satisfaction and customer service. The most important skills for a technical support engineer are technical support, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Field Support Specialist | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $42,023 | $85,716 |
| Hourly rate | $20.20 | $41.21 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 147,629 | 184,542 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Field support specialists are expert professionals who are involved in performing duties related to on-site support. These specialists are required to provide technical support and solutions for technicians working on commercial job sites as well as customers in their homes or companies. They must work with team members to set up new office equipment and workstation and resolve any outstanding concerns surrounding the product setup. Field support specialists must also train new employees on the process of customer service to retain customers.
A technical support engineer is responsible for responding to customer issues, providing immediate resolutions to their system issues through remote assistance. Technical support engineers must have strong knowledge of software and hardware applications to diagnose system defects and process troubleshooting. They also assist customers with the installation of programs and updates to improve system performance, escalating high-level concerns to appropriate internal technology teams. A technical support engineer must have strong command with technical systems, as well as excellent communication and time-management skills to understand clients' issues while documenting procedures.
Field support specialists and technical support engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Support Specialist | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average salary | $42,023 | $85,716 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $66,000 | Between $61,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Continental Resources | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field support specialist and a technical support engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Support Specialist | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between field support specialists' and technical support engineers' demographics:
| Field Support Specialist | Technical Support Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |