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The differences between field technicians and hardware technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a field technician, becoming a hardware technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a hardware technician has an average salary of $47,851, which is higher than the $37,520 average annual salary of a field technician.
The top three skills for a field technician include customer service, ladders and test equipment. The most important skills for a hardware technician are customer service, technical support, and network printers.
| Field Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,520 | $47,851 |
| Hourly rate | $18.04 | $23.01 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 123,149 | 85,174 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A field technician is responsible for providing technical and maintenance support for the customers by area visits. Field technicians' duties include diagnosing technical problems, replacing malfunction components, upgrading systems for efficiency, running equipment tests to ensure stability, creating draft reports of performed processes, utilizing vehicles and other tools safely, following client's specifications on operating equipment, and adhering to the safety standards. A field technician must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as extensive knowledge of the technological industry.
A hardware technician is typically in charge of providing technical support to clients or employees, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. In a company setting, a hardware technician is responsible for performing initial assessments on computer hardware, troubleshooting, diagnosing problems, and providing step by step solutions to solve the issues. They may also perform corrective repairs on problems and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the quality of equipment. Furthermore, as a hardware technician, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Field technicians and hardware technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,520 | $47,851 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $32,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Delaware |
| Best paying company | DCP Midstream | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a field technician and a hardware technician in terms of educational background:
| Field Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between field technicians' and hardware technicians' demographics:
| Field Technician | Hardware Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% | Male, 90.0% Female, 10.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 11% |