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Service engineer

Set up and fix office equipment so people can get their work done and run an organisation efficiently.

Also known as: field support technician

About skills Getting in

About the job

Salary

Source: LMI for All

Weekly

£720

Average

Monthly

£2,880

Average

Yearly

£37,440

Average

6,500

people are currently employed

Low growth

100 more jobs in 5 years

These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics

What it's like

You would set up and fix office equipment so people can get their work done and run an organisation efficiently.

You’d install, maintain and repair equipment like:

  • printers

  • scanners

  • photocopiers

  • fax machines

You might also deal with computer equipment.

You would:

  • install new or refurbished equipment

  • carry out scheduled maintenance checks

  • find and fix faults on site

  • fit replacement equipment

  • return faulty equipment to a repair centre

  • log repairs and write up maintenance reports

People will rely on you to fix problems quickly. You’d need to be able to understand technical diagrams and manuals and be aware of health and safety issues.

You might also train office staff to use new equipment.

This job is often combined with technical sales when you would talk to clients about their business requirements. You’d advise them on upgrades or replacement systems and equipment.

Hours

You would normally work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, although you may be on call to deal with out-of-hours problems.

Environment

You would be based at an office or repair centre, but travel from job to job.

Travel

As a field service engineer you would travel from job to job.

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Related industries

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  • Engineering and manufacturing
  • Energy
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Top skills

Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!

It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.

Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:

  • taking initiative
  • developing a plan
  • attention to detail
  • problem solving
  • resourceful
  • verbal communication
  • cooperating

Your skills are important

Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.

Discover skills

Getting in

Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.

You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.

Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.

Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:

  • Design and Manufacture

  • Engineering Science

  • Practical Craft Skills

  • Practical Electronics

There are no formal qualifications required to enter this role but some employers may ask for qualifications at SCQF level 4/5.

  • qualifications and experience working with electronics, technical and PC repair 

  • work-based qualifications such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in in electrical or electronics servicing (SVQ level 3) 

You may need to pass pre-entry colour vision test.  

A driving licence may be required for some jobs.

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