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The differences between telecom engineers and field engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a telecom engineer, becoming a field engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a telecom engineer has an average salary of $81,384, which is higher than the $71,874 average annual salary of a field engineer.
The top three skills for a telecom engineer include voip, telephony and telecommunication. The most important skills for a field engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Telecom Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,384 | $71,874 |
| Hourly rate | $39.13 | $34.55 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 33,530 | 86,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Telecom engineers are engineering experts who design and install telecommunication equipment to ensure the transmission of high-quality data over wired or wireless communication. Due to their in-depth understanding of emerging technologies, these engineers are required to create solution designs such as drawings and design documents as well as offer guidance to reduce complexity and costs. They must identify and resolve any issues related to fiber optics and copper cables while setting up system monitoring to reduce equipment failure and incident response time. Telecom engineers are also required to operate and improve the telephony systems.
A field engineer's role will vary on the industry or line of work involved. However, the primary responsibility will mostly revolve around handling equipment and machinery, ensuring that they function effectively and safely. It is also the task of a field engineer to oversee the workflow and workforce, giving directions and recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, a field engineer must develop strategies and plans to improve the site's efficiency, produce progress reports, and coordinate with other workers.
Telecom engineers and field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Telecom Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,384 | $71,874 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $104,000 | Between $51,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Energy |
There are a few differences between a telecom engineer and a field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Telecom Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between telecom engineers' and field engineers' demographics:
| Telecom Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |