What is a field service technician? A career change guide for women

Field service is one of those careers many women never think to search for. Most people have never been told what a field service technician does, let alone that many of these jobs are entry level, come with paid training, and pay well from day one. If you’ve spent years in hospitality, retail, customer service, or administration, you might already have most of what employers are asking for.

This guide explains what field service work involves, what it pays, the skills that carry across from other jobs, and how to get started.

What does a field service technician do day to day?

No two days are the same, but most field service roles involve a mix of:

• Preventative maintenance: scheduled checks and servicing to stop equipment from breaking down.
• Fault-finding and repairs: responding to callouts, working out what’s wrong, and fixing it.
• Installations and upgrades: setting up new equipment and updating existing systems.
• Customer service: explaining what you found, what you did, and what happens next, so customers feel informed and confident.
• Reporting: logging your work, parts, and time on a phone, tablet, or laptop using field service apps.
• Safety: following safe work procedures on every site.

Where field service technicians work

Field service roles exist in almost every industry that relies on equipment, including:

• Telecommunications, connecting homes and businesses to the internet
• Medical technology, servicing imaging and laboratory equipment in hospitals and clinics
• Gaming and entertainment, maintaining gaming machines in clubs and hotels
• Mining and power generation, keeping engines and heavy equipment running
• Buildings, servicing lifts, automatic doors, roller shutters, and gates
• Critical power, maintaining backup power systems and batteries
• IT, supporting laptops, devices, and meeting room technology on site
• Defence, maintaining vehicles, sensor systems, and aircraft

Is field service an entry level job?

Many field service roles are. There are three common ways in, depending on the role.

1. Traineeships with no experience required

Some employers train you from scratch and pay you while you learn. nbn’s Trainee Customer Field Technician program, for example, is a 12-month permanent, full-time traineeship where you work towards a Certificate III in Telecommunications Technology, paid for by nbn. The ads ask for an inquisitive mind, a positive attitude, a passion for customer service, and a driver’s licence. Technical experience isn’t listed as a requirement.

2. Junior and entry-level roles

Other employers advertise junior or entry-level field service roles where they provide on-the-job training, help with any licences you need, and offer a path to progression. These roles usually ask for problem-solving skills, a customer service approach, and confidence using mobile devices and apps.

3. Roles for people with a trade or technical background

More specialised roles, such as servicing medical imaging equipment or heavy diesel engines, usually ask for a trade qualification, a university qualification, or relevant experience. Some employers say they welcome people who have recently finished an apprenticeship or who come from related backgrounds like whitegoods, appliances, or electronics repair.

How much does a field service technician earn?

Pay depends on the industry, location, and your experience, but even entry-level roles pay well. With a paid traineeship, you earn a full-time salary from your first day. For example, nbn’s Trainee Customer Field Technician roles have advertised salaries of more than $77,000 a year, including superannuation, while you train. Pay generally increases with experience and specialisation, and overtime and allowances can add to it.

Base salary is only part of the package. Field service roles often include:

• A work vehicle, with fuel, tolls, and insurance covered
• Tools, uniforms, safety equipment, a phone, and a laptop
• Paid overtime, on-call allowances, or site allowances
• Rostered days off or a nine-day fortnight
• Paid training and nationally recognised qualifications

Always check the individual job ad, as packages vary between employers and roles.

The benefits of a career in field service

• You’re paid to learn. Many employers provide structured training, mentoring, and qualifications at no cost to you.
• Variety. You’re out and about, solving different problems at different sites, rather than at the same desk every day.
• Independence. Once you’re trained, you manage your own schedule of jobs with support from your team when you need it.
• Steady demand. Hospitals, homes, mines, and buildings all rely on equipment that needs regular maintenance and repair.
• A clear career path. Experienced technicians move into senior technician, supervisor, team lead, and field service manager roles, or into training, planning, and technology roles that support field teams.
• Employers who want to hire women. Women make up only 6% of telecommunications technicians in Australia, according to the 2021 Census. Employers know this, and many are actively working to change it. nbn, a WORK180 Endorsed Employer, has set targets to recruit more women into its Customer Field Technician traineeships and field-based roles.

Transferable skills that make you a strong field service candidate

When you read field service job ads closely, the skills employers ask for again and again aren’t technical. They’re customer service, problem-solving, communication, working independently, attention to detail, and safety. These are skills you build in many other jobs.

What you’ll need to get a field service job

Requirements vary, but these come up most often in field service job ads:

• A driver’s licence. Almost every role asks for one, because you’ll drive between sites.
• Comfort with hands-on, active work. Some roles involve lifting equipment, working at heights or in ceiling spaces, and moving between kneeling and standing.
• Flexibility. Some roles include travel, overtime, weekend work, on-call rosters, or fly-in fly-out (FIFO) rosters. Others are local, day-shift roles, so read the ad closely.
• Pre-employment checks. Many employers ask for a police check, and some ask for a medical check.
• Work rights or citizenship. All roles need Australian work rights. Defence and government roles may also need Australian citizenship and a security clearance.
• Qualifications for specialised roles. Experienced and specialised roles may ask for a trade certificate, an electrical licence, or a university qualification. Traineeships and entry-level roles usually don’t.

How to start a career in field service

1. Search for entry-level titles

Look for roles with “trainee”, “junior”, or “entry level” in the title, and read the requirements. If a role doesn’t list a qualification, it’s likely open to career changers.

2. Try the job before you apply

Some employers offer free ways to see what the work involves before you commit. nbn’s free Digital Work Experience, for example, lets you try the work its Customer Field Technicians do from home. Look for virtual work experience, information sessions, or open days from employers in the industries that interest you.

3. Translate your experience

Update your resume to show the skills field service employers ask for. Instead of “served customers”, write about solving customer problems, working to deadlines, following safety procedures, and managing your own workload. Use the table above as a guide.

4. Consider a qualification, but don’t wait for one

A Certificate III in a related area, such as telecommunications or electrotechnology, can help with more specialised roles. But many employers include the qualification as part of a paid traineeship, so you don’t need to study first.

5. Apply even if you don’t tick every box

Many field service employers tell candidates directly that transferable skills count, and encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t match every requirement. If a role sounds right for you, apply.

Key takeaways

• A field service technician travels to customer sites to install, maintain, and repair equipment, combining hands-on problem-solving with customer service.
• Many field service roles are entry level, with paid traineeships that include a nationally recognised qualification.
• Pay is strong from the start. Paid traineeships mean you earn a full-time salary while you learn, and packages often include a vehicle, tools, and paid training.
• Customer service, problem-solving, communication, organisation, and safety skills from hospitality, retail, admin, care, and other jobs all carry across.
• Women are under-represented in field service, and many employers are actively working to hire more women.