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The differences between installation specialists and field service specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an installation specialist and a field service specialist. Additionally, a field service specialist has an average salary of $51,832, which is higher than the $49,602 average annual salary of an installation specialist.
The top three skills for an installation specialist include customer service, ladders and scaffolding. The most important skills for a field service specialist are customer satisfaction, provide customer support, and customer support.
| Installation Specialist | Field Service Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,602 | $51,832 |
| Hourly rate | $23.85 | $24.92 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 103,003 | 104,134 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Installation specialists are skilled employees who are responsible for installing various equipment, machinery, and computer systems for a company or clients. These specialists must work with HVAC contractors to install air-conditioning ductwork and materials in business establishments and homes. They should recommend corrective action when identifying electrical and environmental deficiencies to ensure optimized performance and reliability of equipment. Installation specialists must also test hardware and software to determine its efficiency and reliability as well as its compatibility with the existing system.
A field service specialist is responsible for visiting sites and driving down to clients' locations to provide support for their technical and mechanical issues. Field service specialists identify maintenance problems by asking questions to the clients and personally fix those errors, informing the clients of technical solutions. They also perform installation and quality check services to ensure the stability and efficiency of the technical components and materials. A field service specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially the ability to work for extended hours in the field to achieve the highest customer satisfaction.
Installation specialists and field service specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Installation Specialist | Field Service Specialist | |
| Average salary | $49,602 | $51,832 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $73,000 | Between $33,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Technip USA Corporation | SAP |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an installation specialist and a field service specialist in terms of educational background:
| Installation Specialist | Field Service Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between installation specialists' and field service specialists' demographics:
| Installation Specialist | Field Service Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |