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The differences between account specialists and account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an account specialist, becoming an account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an account manager has an average salary of $68,535, which is higher than the $42,586 average annual salary of an account specialist.
The top three skills for an account specialist include customer service, patients and account management. The most important skills for an account manager are customer service, account management, and healthcare.
| Account Specialist | Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $42,586 | $68,535 |
| Hourly rate | $20.47 | $32.95 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 116,010 | 152,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 8 |
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 managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.
Account specialists and account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Account Specialist | Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $42,586 | $68,535 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $62,000 | Between $42,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Washington |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an account specialist and an account manager in terms of educational background:
| Account Specialist | Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between account specialists' and account managers' demographics:
| Account Specialist | Account Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |