How To Become A Field Applications Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a field applications scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Andrew Riquier Ph.D.

Instrumentation and Controls (IC) technicians work to ensure that manufacturing devices work efficiently and in a manner that ensures maximum safety for everyone. They perform diagnostics and assess equipment for any malfunctions or sluggishness. They earn an average salary of $64,000 annually or $31 per hour.

IC technicians typically work at a manufacturing plant, and they assess, repair, and maintain the instrumentation, robotic controllers, and sensory readouts. They are also in charge of scheduling regular maintenance and system downtimes. They make sure that installations are performed when there are new updates. These technicians can work effectively with their hands and have solid communication and time management skills.

IC technicians mostly hold a degree in instrumentation or robotics from a technical college or vocational school. Some employers require experience as an operator in an industrial plant. They work full-time at a manufacturing plant but may work in shifts, too, depending on the workload.

What general advice would you give to a Field Applications Scientist?

Andrew Riquier Ph.D.

Instructor, University of Nebraska - Omaha

Apply for the positions you want, even if you feel underqualified. I know plenty of people who have applied for jobs they didn't quite meet the requirements for, and got hired for other reasons. In my experience, many recent graduates choose to take time to strengthen their resumes by retaking classes, working jobs they don't particularly want to get experience, etc. There is some value in that, particularly if you have been unsuccessful attaining the position you want, or if you want to see if you even enjoy that type of work. But if you are confident in what you want to do, go for it; in the worst-case scenario, you are in the same position you would be if you hadn't applied, but now you have experience applying and have potentially gained a contact in the field.

ScoreField Applications ScientistUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $101,706

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.3

Growth Rate 17%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 25.41%

Black or African American 6.33%

Hispanic or Latino 9.55%

Unknown 4.09%

White 54.48%

Gender

female 33.02%

male 66.98%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

6.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a field applications scientist

Explore field applications scientist education requirements

Most common field applications scientist degrees

Bachelor's

52.0 %

Doctorate

28.4 %

Master's

19.6 %

Start to develop specific field applications scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Post Sales	12.18%
Next-Generation Sequencing	8.28%
Pre Sales	7.82%
Chemistry	5.65%
Technical Support	5.59%

Complete relevant field applications scientist training and internships

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

Research field applications scientist duties and responsibilities

Lead the development and successful launch of the first high-density microarray for profiling long, non-coding RNA.
Manage study protocols and study conduct, intimately involve in the toxicology and pharmacokinetic study protocol development process.
Ensure that documents and testing are in compliance with FDA, cGMP, ISO, and company policies.
Travele to customer sites to provide debugging during integration testing.

Prepare your field applications scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your field applications scientist 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 applications scientist 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 Applications Scientist Resume templates

Build a professional Field Applications Scientist 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 Applications Scientist resume.

Apply for field applications scientist jobs

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

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

Average field applications scientist salary

The average Field Applications Scientist salary in the United States is $101,706 per year or $49 per hour. Field applications scientist salaries range between $72,000 and $142,000 per year.

Average Field Applications Scientist Salary

$101,706 Yearly

$48.90 hourly

How do field applications scientists rate their job?

4/5

Out of 1 Field Applications Scientist reviews, 100% were positive.

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Based On 1 Ratings

Work/Life Balance

3.0

Overall Rating

4.0

Pay / Salary

5.0

Career Growth

2.0

Field Applications Scientist reviews

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2023

Pros

Experience different scientific fields- get away from the bench

Cons

Career path forward is narrow and limited beyond this role