Field Sales Engineer – Great Career Choice?
Why become a Field Sales Engineer? What are the routes into this role? What are the positives and negatives?
There are Field Sales Engineers across all sectors and industries in all countries. Some work with multiple clients, some with just one or two. The amount of travel varies from occasional and local to frequent and global.
Many engineers who’ve transitioned into Sales Engineering find it to be a rewarding move, both in terms of career growth and job satisfaction. It offers a unique blend of technical knowledge and customer-facing engagement, which suits those people who enjoy problem-solving and interacting with people.
Sales Engineering can offer better pay than pure technical roles, and if you enjoy a fast-paced, target-driven environment, it can be quite fulfilling. You still get to work with complex technologies, but you’re applying them in a business context. You are understanding client needs, tailoring solutions, and sometimes even influencing product development based on market feedback.
This article focuses on Field Sales Engineering as an initial career choice or as a transition from a purely technical role. It answers some of the questions you may be asking yourself.
How to become a Field Sales Engineer
Can you become a field sales engineer without an engineering degree?
It’s definitely possible. While an engineering degree can give you an advantage, especially for highly technical products, many field sales engineers come from other backgrounds, as long as they’ve picked up the technical know-how along the way. Practical experience, certifications, and strong communication skills often carry just as much weight as formal qualifications. Some companies value domain expertise and client rapport more than your degree title.
Can you move back into a technical role?
Yes, but with certain caveats. If you’ve kept your technical skills reasonably up to date, the shift back is quite feasible. However, this will vary from industry to industry. It may be easier to move into roles like solutions architecture, technical consulting, or even product management. However, if you’ve been out of hands-on work for too long, you might need to refresh your technical knowledge or take on a slightly more junior title at first to prove your capabilities again.
Overall, it’s a flexible path, and many utilise a Field Sales Engineering role as a stepping stone into leadership, product strategy, or entrepreneurship.
Examples of Moves into Field Sales Engineering
From Marketing to Field Sales Engineering
Victoria’s journey into Field Sales Engineering began with a background in marketing and a science degree. Recognising the need to bridge the gap between technical products and customer needs, she transitioned and became a field sales engineer.
From Software Engineer to Field Sales Engineer
Mike started his career as a software engineer before moving into business analysis and project management. Recognising a gap in his ability to effectively market and sell solutions, he pivoted toward field sales and was then more involved in overall business strategy.
From Field Sales Engineer to Entrepreneur
Tom began his career as a field sales engineer in the semiconductor industry. After years of experience, he decided to leave and founded a company specialising in automated micro welding for semiconductor manufacturing. His technical and field sales background was instrumental in the company’s success.
Acoustical Engineer to Field Sales and Marketing Engineer
Jaivin transitioned from an acoustical engineer to a field sales and marketing engineer, specialising in high-tech sales. His background in engineering provided a solid foundation for understanding complex products, which he then applied to marketing and sales strategies.
Field Sales Engineer to Field Sales Engineering Team Leader
Nicole had many years of experience in Field Sales Engineering and gradually became involved in mentoring new field sales engineers. The move to management and team leading was an ideal next step.
What is the difference between Field Sales Engineer and Sales Engineer?
The terms Field Sales Engineer and Sales Engineer are often used interchangeably. However, there are some key differences, mostly around where and how the role operates.
Sales Engineer
This is the broader category. A Sales Engineer is a technically skilled professional who supports the sales process, usually for complex or high-tech products. Their responsibilities can include:
• Product demonstrations
• Technical presentations
• Proposal preparation
• Solution design
• Acting as a bridge between sales and engineering
• Supporting both pre-sales and post-sales efforts
They may work in-house (from the office or remotely), or travel occasionally to meet clients.
Field Sales Engineer
A Field Sales Engineer does everything a Sales Engineer does, but with a strong focus on being out in the field — that is, visiting customers on-site, often covering a specific geographical region.
They typically:
• Spend a lot of time on the road, meeting clients face-to-face
• Provide on-site product demos, installations, or training
• Build long-term relationships with clients
• May work more closely with distributors or channel partners
• Are often more involved in hands-on technical support
Think of them as a mobile technical salesperson, whereas a Sales Engineer might have a bit more desk time.
Networking to transition into Field Sales Engineer roles
Networking with teams like Sales, Field Applications, and Business Development can be one of the most effective ways to transition from a purely technical or engineering role into a more commercial or hybrid position like Sales Engineering. Here’s how each of those teams can help.
Sales Team
They can give you insights into the customer mindset, the sales process, and what kind of technical support is most valuable during deals.
How to engage
Shadow sales calls, volunteer to help with technical proposals, or offer to join customer meetings where your expertise might be needed. Express your interest early as many salespeople would love technical backup, and this builds your visibility as a future Field Sales Engineer.
Field Applications Engineers (FAEs)
Field Applications Engineers (FAEs) already sit at the intersection of engineering and customer interaction. They’re often the best models for what a Field Sales Engineer or hybrid role might look like in your industry.
How to engage
Ask to join customer visits, help prepare technical material or debrief with them after customer interactions to understand challenges they face. These conversations often give you excellent knowledge about what it takes to work in customer-facing roles, and which skills are really transferable.
Business Development Team
Business development teams look at strategic growth: new markets, partnerships, product direction. If you want to scale up your impact beyond engineering, this is a great way to understand the commercial side.
How to engage
Ask to collaborate on market research, competitor analysis, or tech input for business cases. Your technical expertise can be very valuable to them, and in return, they can help you think more broadly about value, positioning, and strategy.
Practical Networking Ideas
If you are thinking that a field sales engineer role might be right for you, here are some practical networking ideas.
Informal chats
Ask someone in each team for a 15-minute coffee or video chat to understand their role.
Offer help
Volunteer to support any cross-functional projects that need technical input.
Learn the language
Get familiar with sales lingo, KPIs, and business drivers.
Mentorship
Ask one of them to mentor you or keep you in the loop for open roles.
Is it an advantage to have an Engineering or Science Degree and MBA?
Having both an engineering or science degree and an MBA is a powerful combination for a field sales engineer role. It positions you uniquely at the crossroads of technology and business. You’ll be able to ‘speak engineer’ as well as ‘speak business’. There are three key reasons you will be ideal for field sales engineering.
1. Technical Credibility
Your engineering or science background gives you:
• The ability to understand and explain technical products
• Credibility with engineers, developers, or technical buyers
• Confidence to handle in-depth technical conversations on-site with customers
2. Business Acumen
Your MBA adds:
• A strong grasp of business drivers, ROI, and decision-making processes
• Strategic thinking — how your product fits into the customer’s business goals
• Fluency in sales, marketing, and financial language — useful in client conversations
3. Client-Facing Readiness
Field sales engineering is all about:
• Building relationships face-to-face
• Navigating complex buying cycles
• Understanding both the tech needs and business pains of the customer
Conclusion
If you enjoy solving problems, talking to people, and seeing how technical solutions create real-world value, then being a field sales engineer is a brilliant use of your qualifications and qualities. If you’re open to travel, like being on the ground with customers, and want a commercial role with depth, it’s an ideal match.
Further reading on this site
How to work with recruiters to successfully find a new role
A look at how to become a Field Marketing Manager
Field Sales Networking Groups in The Field Engineer Community
Semiconductor Field Sales Engineer
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You can join The Field Engineer community here,
Useful Public LinkedIn Groups
Field Sales Engineer Jobs and Careers – Career discussions for Field Sales Engineering professionals