Field Service Technicians / 

Engineers – Misclassification As 

Exempt From Overtime Pay

Many companies employ field service engineers and field service technicians who spend their day installing, repairing, and/or servicing products, systems, and/or equipment out in the field at customer sites. These field service employees generally have an Associate’s degree in electronics or some other related field, and/or some other form of electronics training. They also typically have field service experience, as the job is very hands-on. Technicians perform technical work and provide technical support to the employer’s customers. Industries that employ field service employees often include the healthcare, telecom, semiconductor, environmental, network-critical power equipment, computer, and construction industries.

Because the job duties of most field service engineers/technicians primarily consist of manual labor and customer service, these employees are generally eligible to receive overtime pay. However, some companies pay engineers/technicians a salary without additional compensation for the overtime hours they work over 40 per week. Indeed, the United States Department of Labor issued two Opinion Letters addressing the exempt status of field service engineers and technicians. See Op. Letter, 1985 DOLWH LEXIS 69 (July 11, 1985) (click here to review); 2000 WL 34444354 (July 14, 2000) (click here to review). These letters state that field service engineers and technicians are not exempt from overtime pay either under the administrative or professional exemptions.

Our overtime lawyers have handled several cases on behalf of field service engineers and technicians who were not paid correctly. Contact our wage and hour team for a free evaluation of your potential claim.