What is a senior service technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

John Terasconi

A senior service technician specializes in repairing and maintaining technical equipment. They diagnose and fix complex technical issues, often using advanced tools. Senior service technicians also mentor and train junior technicians, oversee projects, and manage customer relationships. They work in industries including IT, telecommunications, and healthcare. A successful senior service technician must have excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and communication. They also stay up-to-date with the latest technological advancements in their field.

What general advice would you give to a senior service technician?

John Terasconi

Associate Professor, HVAC-R Department Chair, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

The best advice I could give is to stay focused on your job and strive to learn as much as possible. Take the time to truly understand the systems you're working on, continuously develop your skills, and absorb as much knowledge as possible from every source available. The more you know, the more valuable you become.

ScoreSenior Service TechnicianUS Average

Salary

5.9

Avg. Salary $74,893

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75%

Asian 1.73%

Black or African American 5.29%

Hispanic or Latino 15.79%

Unknown 3.80%

White 72.65%

Gender

female 11.81%

male 88.19%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a senior service technician?

Pros

High demand for skilled technicians
Opportunities for career advancement
Competitive salary and benefits
Chance to work independently
Potential for overtime pay

Cons

Physically demanding work
Long hours and irregular schedules
Limited job security in some industries
Potential for on-call work
High expectations for productivity and efficiency

Key steps to become a senior service technician

Explore senior service technician education requirements

Most common senior service technician degrees

Associate

39.3 %

Bachelor's

34.1 %

High School Diploma

11.6 %

Start to develop specific senior service technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	13.90%
Preventative Maintenance	6.56%
Java	6.12%
CAD	6.11%
Hand Tools	5.60%

Complete relevant senior service technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior service technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior service technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior service technician resumes.

Gain additional senior service technician certifications

Senior service technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific senior service technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for senior service technicians include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and Network 5 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research senior service technician duties and responsibilities

Create and manage a VOIP lab environment used for product staging and development testing.
Manage a deployment of the new in house Cisco VOIP phone system and expand to multiple offices.
Lead reporting team in defining application architecture for high-volume reporting system.
Perform firmware and Bios upgrade for hard drives and system boards.

Get senior service technician experience

Generally, it takes 6-12 months to become a senior service technician. The most common roles before becoming a senior service technician include service technician, computer technician team lead and field service technician.

Prepare your senior service technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior service technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior service technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior service technician resume templates

Build a professional senior service technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior service technician resume.