Written by Zippa – the Career Experts
To hire a field service technician, identify the skills and experience needed, set a budget, and advertise the job opening. Strong time management, technical expertise, and a clear understanding of the role are essential. Follow these steps to hire a field service technician:
Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a field service technician job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new field service technician
Step 8: Complete the hiring process checklist
What Does a Field Service Technician Do?
Field service technicians handle technical needs for clients outside the company office. They visit client sites to inspect equipment, perform regular maintenance, and respond to urgent repairs. They provide technical support, oversee installations and repairs, and ensure tasks are completed thoroughly and on time. Strong communication and customer service skills are vital for client satisfaction. Technicians diagnose and troubleshoot technical issues, applying their expertise to resolve problems quickly. They also supervise updates or changes at client locations and are expected to have strong analytical and technical skills. Those pursuing this career should continually develop their technical and interpersonal abilities.
1. Identify Your Hiring Needs
Determine whether you need a full-time, part-time, or contract field service technician. Consider if the role requires frequent field visits or more in-office coordination.
Assess Employee vs Contractor Status
Consider the candidate’s background, industry experience, seniority, education, and expected salary. These factors help define the duties and responsibilities for each technician role.
Below are types of field service technicians and their typical hourly rates:
| Type Of Field Service Technician | Description | Hourly Rate |
| Field Service Technician | Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, rail transportation, and other industries. | $16-39 |
| System Technician | A system technician is a professional responsible for supporting users with issues related to the computer system. System technicians conduct appropriate diagnostics on computer issues and must be able to explain technical issues to clients or team members… | $12-32 |
| Technician | 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… | $11-27 |
2. Create an Ideal Candidate Profile
Before drafting the job description, outline the ideal candidate’s skills and background. Evaluate their ability to handle repairs, demonstrate technical expertise, and adapt to various assignments.
Common Field Service Technician Skills:
- Customer service
- Preventative maintenance
- Technical support
- Hand tools
- Test equipment
- Work ethic
- PC proficiency
- Ladders
- Service calls
- Math
- Parts inventory
Field Service Technician Responsibilities:
- Manage onsite contractors to achieve customer satisfaction
- Lead initiatives to reduce downtime and improve quality assurance
- Manage teams of field engineers and technical systems
- Collaborate on technical solutions and server implementation
- Administer network security, LAN, WLAN, desktops, servers, and databases
- Service access control technology and related systems
Consider cultural fit. Assess how the candidate aligns with your company’s mission and team dynamics. Clear expectations in your job description help attract the right candidates.
3. Make a Budget
Include a salary range in your job description to attract top candidates. Salaries vary based on location, seniority, certifications, company, and industry.
Average Field Service Technician Salary: $54,339 ($26.12 hourly)
Entry-Level Salary: $35,000
Median: $54,339
Top 10 percent: $82,000
Average Salary by State:
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
| 1 | California | $69,444 | $33 | 48 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $65,163 | $31 | 30 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $63,554 | $31 | 81 |
| 4 | New York | $63,496 | $31 | 86 |
| 5 | Nevada | $62,262 | $30 | 40 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $61,652 | $30 | 78 |
| 7 | Washington | $61,426 | $30 | 50 |
| 8 | Arizona | $61,009 | $29 | 95 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $60,417 | $29 | 35 |
| 10 | Texas | $60,088 | $29 | 38 |
| 11 | Oregon | $59,089 | $28 | 26 |
| 12 | Illinois | $58,503 | $28 | 129 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $57,312 | $28 | 66 |
| 14 | Utah | $57,104 | $27 | 59 |
| 15 | Kansas | $56,936 | $27 | 13 |
| 16 | Maryland | $56,170 | $27 | 54 |
| 17 | Maine | $55,956 | $27 | 9 |
| 18 | Ohio | $54,813 | $26 | 52 |
| 19 | Iowa | $54,539 | $26 | 37 |
| 20 | Colorado | $54,537 | $26 | 69 |
Top Companies for Field Service Technicians:
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
| 1 | $105,745 | $50.84 | 188 | |
| 2 | Nokia | $102,918 | $49.48 | 2 |
| 3 | Entegris | $97,746 | $46.99 | 1 |
| 4 | HP | $97,250 | $46.75 | 12 |
| 5 | Sysmex | $96,356 | $46.33 | 7 |
| 6 | Adobe | $95,670 | $46.00 | |
| 7 | Compunetix | $95,282 | $45.81 | |
| 8 | Abiomed | $95,040 | $45.69 | 1 |
| 9 | KLA | $94,368 | $45.37 | 9 |
| 10 | Spirent Communications | $94,312 | $45.34 | |
| 11 | Apple | $93,740 | $45.07 | 7 |
| 12 | GCP Applied Technologies | $91,974 | $44.22 | 10 |
| 13 | Lam Research | $91,949 | $44.21 | 12 |
| 14 | FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA | $91,386 | $43.94 | 48 |
| 15 | General Motors | $90,525 | $43.52 | 1 |
| 16 | NuVasive | $89,434 | $43.00 | 2 |
| 17 | Varian Medical Systems | $88,995 | $42.79 | 24 |
| 18 | ST Engineering iDirect | $88,406 | $42.50 | |
| 19 | Agilent Technologies | $87,159 | $41.90 | 1 |
| 20 | Qorvo | $86,779 | $41.72 | 1 |
4. Writing A Field Service Technician Job Description
A strong job description should include:
- Role summary
- Responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
- Salary range
- Hiring manager’s name
Example:
Field Service Technician Job Description Example
Morrison Industrial Equipment is a family-oriented company offering flexibility, work/life balance, competitive benefits, career progression, and a strong customer base. We are a leading material handling equipment dealer with over 65 years of service.
We seek full-time Service Technicians in Elkhart, IN. This role requires a valid driver’s license and uses a company vehicle regionally. The position is Monday-Friday, first shift, 40 hours per week with overtime opportunities. Responsibilities include on-site client installation, repairs, and maintenance.
Service Technicians Typically:
- Have strong customer relations skills
- Work well independently and as part of a team
- Use technology such as laptops or tablets
- Hold a valid driver’s license
- Possess strong mechanical aptitude
Training is provided for all technicians, including classroom, hands-on, e-learning, and mentoring. Our “Tools for Technicians” program supplies all necessary tools, which become the technician’s property after 18 months. Certification opportunities are available throughout training.
Benefits Include:
- Health care with 24-hour access to WebDr
- Dental, vision, and company-paid life insurance
- 401K with company deposit
- Paid time off and company-supplied uniforms
- Most technicians take their vans home nightly
5. Post Your Job
Use multiple recruiting strategies to find field service technicians:
- Consider internal talent
- Ask for referrals from employees, friends, and family
- Recruit at local colleges and job fairs
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
- Post jobs on Zippia, field-specific sites, and free job boards
6. Interview Candidates
During initial interviews, learn about candidates’ interest and experience. Discuss repair maintenance practices and ask targeted questions to assess technical expertise. In follow-up interviews, review company details, role responsibilities, time management, customer service skills, and relevant cover letters.
Ask about unique skills and talents to match your ideal candidate profile. Use in-depth questions to gauge long-term career interest and assess hard and soft skills.
7. Send a Job Offer and Onboard Your New Field Service Technician
After selecting a candidate, send an offer letter detailing salary, benefits, and perks. Be open to negotiation. Formalize the agreement with a contract. Reference any special requests or commitments from the application process.
Notify applicants who were not selected. Open communication is appreciated by job seekers.
Prepare for the new hire’s start date by creating an onboarding schedule and completing paperwork such as I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and tax forms. Ensure Human Resources creates a new employee file. On the first day, provide necessary resources and review responsibilities within your service management approach.
8. Hiring Process Checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit job requisition form to HR
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Identify hiring decision makers
