Usual qualification these days is a MS or Phd in Physics or Electrical Engineering. I'm a former nationwide and international FSE for a major laser supplier.
You spend 90% of your time doing phone support, even when driving from city to city or setting at the airport. Usually with grad students or tech staff who have no EE or Physics, or hands on skills. Often they just broke it or have never done any of the planned maintenance.
You'll be driven by your boss to avoid travel at all costs, yet in most cases you may spend as much as 30 to 60 days on the road with just a suitcase and a toolkit that has to pass some strict TSA tequirements.
If your married, you'll not see her much, and when you do get home the honey-dos and the stress of having to pack a week into just a weekend was very stressful for all married/dating FSEs. Thursday evening or Friday morning you get home, Sunday afternoon your getting airborn again.
Boss solved much of that by hiring the wives, sticking them in the office, but that is not the case at most places.
Did i mention constant travel leads to being highly disoriented in about 60% of people.
Do machine tools instead of laser. Make better money and only have to cover one or two states.
Steve
Qui habet Christos, habet Vitam!
I should have rented the space under my name for advertising.
When I still could have...