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The differences between forklift technicians and field service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a forklift technician, becoming a field service technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a field service technician has an average salary of $54,339, which is higher than the $43,589 average annual salary of a forklift technician.
The top three skills for a forklift technician include troubleshoot, preventative maintenance and safety procedures. The most important skills for a field service technician are customer service, preventative maintenance, and customer satisfaction.
| Forklift Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,589 | $54,339 |
| Hourly rate | $20.96 | $26.12 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 179,388 | 167,298 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Primarily, a forklift technician services and monitors forklifts and any other heavy industrial vehicles. Forklift technicians maintain tools, communicate with the salespeople, handle inventory, and utilize computer-based diagnostics on any equipment. Typically, they work in repair shops doing repair and troubleshooting tasks. They repair, rewire, and troubleshoot the electrical, electronic, and mechanical problems of vehicles. Among their other duties and responsibilities are shop analysis, equipment modification, diagnostics, electronic system troubleshooting.
Field service technicians are skilled professionals who manage the technical needs of their clients outside the company's physical office space. They are usually on the field to visit their clients and check up on clients' equipment. Field service technicians are dispatched to provide technical support. They oversee installations, repairs, or maintenance activities. They ensure that all the work needed is done well. They also conduct diagnostic activities and troubleshooting. Field service technicians also supervise any updating or changes needed to be done in their clients' offices. They are expected to have good analytical skills, communication skills, and highly technical skills.
Forklift technicians and field service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forklift Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,589 | $54,339 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $60,000 | Between $35,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a forklift technician and a field service technician in terms of educational background:
| Forklift Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between forklift technicians' and field service technicians' demographics:
| Forklift Technician | Field Service Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 1% | 1% |