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The differences between account associates and account specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an account associate, becoming an account specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an account associate has an average salary of $48,927, which is higher than the $42,586 average annual salary of an account specialist.
The top three skills for an account associate include customer service, work ethic and develop leads. The most important skills for an account specialist are customer service, patients, and account management.
| Account Associate | Account Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,927 | $42,586 |
| Hourly rate | $23.52 | $20.47 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 98,235 | 116,010 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 51 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
An account associate is responsible for supporting the accounting and finance department in performing accounting operations, bookkeeping functions, and other related clerical tasks. Account associates analyze and sort financial statements accordingly, assist on payroll processing, evaluate account reconciliations and receivables, create financial reports, and updating recent account information on the database. They also handle clients' inquiries and concerns, routing calls to the appropriate accounting staff or department. An account associate must have excellent analytical and communication skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the accounting principles.
An account specialist is responsible for reaching out to customers or potential clients through calls, emails, and other forms of correspondence to secure sales and strengthen business relations. An account specialist may also perform other tasks such as arranging appointment schedules with clients, providing price quotes and responding to further inquiries, process orders, generating sales leads, and handling complaints and resolving issues. Furthermore, an account specialist may also be involved in developing strategies, finding new opportunities, producing and completing necessary documents, and preparing reports, all in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.
Account associates and account specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Account Associate | Account Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,927 | $42,586 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $67,000 | Between $28,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an account associate and an account specialist in terms of educational background:
| Account Associate | Account Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between account associates' and account specialists' demographics:
| Account Associate | Account Specialist | |
| Average age | 51 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.9% Female, 61.1% | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 3.7% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |