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The differences between technicians and field technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technician, becoming a field technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, which is higher than the $37,520 average annual salary of a field technician.
The top three skills for a technician include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a field technician are customer service, ladders, and test equipment.
| Technician | Field Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,045 | $37,520 |
| Hourly rate | $18.29 | $18.04 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 596,842 | 123,149 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
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.
Technicians and field technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,045 | $37,520 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $58,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | DCP Midstream |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Energy |
There are a few differences between a technician and a field technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician | Field Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between technicians' and field technicians' demographics:
| Technician | Field Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 1% |