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The differences between field technician engineers and desktop 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 technician engineer and a desktop engineer. Additionally, a desktop engineer has an average salary of $102,893, which is higher than the $50,370 average annual salary of a field technician engineer.
The top three skills for a field technician engineer include preventive maintenance, technical support and RF. The most important skills for a desktop engineer are customer service, SCCM, and troubleshoot.
| Field Technician Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $50,370 | $102,893 |
| Hourly rate | $24.22 | $49.47 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 73,704 | 87,458 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Field service technicians or engineers are engineering professionals who are dispatched to specific locations to perform several tasks such as maintenance, service repairs, and installing electrical and engineering equipment products. These engineers are required to effectively communicate with their customers about their concerns related to equipment maintenance and repair so that they address them immediately. They must travel to customer sites to conduct survey and document existing field conditions and installation accuracy. Field service engineers must also conduct training for service technicians and operators at dealer and customer locations.
A desktop engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and performance of computer systems across the organization to deliver high-performance on business operations and client specifications. Desktop engineers resolve computer desktop issues, including navigation and security complications that create delays in the operational process. They conduct regular maintenance with the computer systems, upgrade network infrastructure, and perform configuration to ensure smooth functionality and resolutions. A desktop engineer should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, recommending system solutions to avoid the reoccurrence of network issues and glitches.
Field technician engineers and desktop engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Technician Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Average salary | $50,370 | $102,893 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $76,000 | Between $77,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Medtronic | Ropes & Gray |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a field technician engineer and a desktop engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Technician Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between field technician engineers' and desktop engineers' demographics:
| Field Technician Engineer | Desktop Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 13.6% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |