How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2024)

Updated April 25, 2024

6 min read

How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (1)

A field technician is a person who travels to various locations to install, maintain, and repair equipment or systems. They may work in a variety of industries, including telecommunications, IT, healthcare, and manufacturing. A field technician typically receives service requests from clients or dispatchers and then travels to the location to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. They may also be responsible for testing and configuring new equipment, providing training to clients, and documenting their work.

How long does it takes to become a field technician?

It typically takes 1-2 years to become a field technician:

  • Year 1-2: Accumulating the necessary work experience, such as installing, repairing, and maintaining equipment in various settings.
  • Some positions may require on-site training for 1-3 months, which overlaps with accumulating work experience.
  • Salary$37,520
  • Growth Rate8%
  • Jobs Number123,149
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Most Common SkillCustomer Service
  • Most Common DegreeBachelor's degree
  • Best StateWyoming

What are the pros and cons of being a Field Technician?

Pros

  • Opportunity to work outdoors

  • Varied work and new challenges every day

  • Independence and autonomy in work

  • Opportunity to work with your hands and problem-solve

  • Opportunities for travel and working in different locations

Cons

  • Exposure to weather and physical strain from outdoor work

  • High levels of stress and pressure to meet deadlines and fix problems quickly

  • Need to constantly learn new skills and keep up with changing technology

  • Irregular hours, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and on-call shifts

  • Limited opportunities for professional development outside of technical skills.

Field Technician career paths

As a field technician, you have the opportunity to take on a variety of roles in different industries. Depending on your interests and skills, you could transition into roles such as a systems administrator, information technology manager, or even an engineering manager. You could also explore roles in construction, engineering, or project management. Alternatively, you could become a technical support specialist, consultant, or even an owner/operator.

Key steps to become a field technician

  1. Explore field technician education requirements

    The educational requirements for a field technician typically include a high school diploma, though a certificate or associate's degree can be beneficial. According to Brian Wygal, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Adelphi University, "With an archaeological field school or other technical training (like GIS) under your belt and a willingness to move around, recent graduates can almost always find entry-level jobs as a field technician." Some relevant certifications for field technicians include the Master Certified Electronics Technician and the Emergency Medical Technician. Top schools for this field include Purdue University and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

    Most common field technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    39.9

    %

    Associate

    28.4

    %

    High School Diploma

    18.7

    %

  2. Start to develop specific field technician skills

    Field technicians install and maintain equipment, devices, and systems, often working outdoors. They perform troubleshooting and repair on hardware and software, and conduct routine maintenance to ensure maximum availability. They also use testers and hand tools to repair electrical and mechanical equipment. In addition, they monitor and analyze data to ensure reliability and resolve technical problems. They may also perform security administration and work with customers to ensure their equipment is functioning properly.

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service10.52%
    Ladders9.43%
    Test Equipment6.69%
    Hand Tools6.29%
    Smartphones4.14%

    Show more

  3. Complete relevant field technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New field 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 field technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real field technician resumes.

  4. Gain additional field technician certifications

    Field 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 field technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for field technicians include Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma) and EPA Amusem*nt Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research field technician duties and responsibilities

    A field technician's responsibilities include installing, maintaining, and repairing equipment, software, and hardware. They troubleshoot and resolve technical issues, perform security administration, and ensure network reliability and performance. Field technicians also install and configure software and hardware in various network environments, perform laboratory and field tests, and conduct inspections. They work on PC and network maintenance, repairs, and configuration, and carry out tasks like climbing ladders and operating extension ladders.

    • Lead training, operations, user hardware and software support, and logbook oversight.
    • Manage network reliability, capacity and performance in conjunction with RF engineering establish guidelines.
    • Install cable to data network, pulling cat5, cat6 to racks, patch panel patch cords.
    • Provide desktop support and troubleshoot network communications issue at customer homes.
  6. Prepare your field technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your field 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 field 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 Field Technician Resume templates

    Build a professional

    Field 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 Field Technician resume.

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  7. Apply for field technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a field technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (18)

Are you a Field Technician?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average field technician salary

The average Field Technician salary in the United States is $37,520 per year or $18 per hour. Field technician salaries range between $28,000 and $48,000 per year.

Average

Field Technician

Salary

$37,520Yearly

$18.04

hourly

More field technician salary info

What Am I Worth?

How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (19)

How do field technicians rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Field Technician reviews

How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (20)

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

Love taking something that can't be used and giving it life again...

Cons

The pay is too low for the experience one must have...

How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (21)

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

I like to learn more ,and also to challenge my self to do the job as a field technician

Cons

I don't like lazyness and doing job in wrong procedure

Field Technician FAQs

Have more questions?

See all answers to common installation, maintenance and repair questions.

Search for field technician jobs

Field Technician jobs by state

  • Field Technician jobs in Alaska
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  • Field Technician jobs in District of Columbia
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  • Field Technician jobs in Hawaii
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  • Field Technician jobs in New Jersey
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  • Field Technician jobs in Puerto Rico
  • Field Technician jobs in Rhode Island
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  • Field Technician jobs in South Dakota
  • Field Technician jobs in Tennessee
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  • Field Technician jobs in Virginia
  • Field Technician jobs in Vermont
  • Field Technician jobs in Washington
  • Field Technician jobs in Wisconsin
  • Field Technician jobs in West Virginia
  • Field Technician jobs in Wyoming

Updated April 25, 2024

How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (22)

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Field Technician Related Careers

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  • Zippia Careers
  • Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
  • Field Technician

Updated April 25, 2024

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How To Become A Field Technician: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2024)
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