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The differences between account specialists and customer relations specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an account specialist and a customer relations specialist. Additionally, an account specialist has an average salary of $42,586, which is higher than the $37,827 average annual salary of a customer relations specialist.
The top three skills for an account specialist include customer service, patients and account management. The most important skills for a customer relations specialist are customer relations, data entry, and work ethic.
| Account Specialist | Customer Relations Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,586 | $37,827 |
| Hourly rate | $20.47 | $18.19 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 116,010 | 215,862 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A customer relations specialist is responsible for providing high-quality services for customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints about the company's goods and services. Customer relations specialists update customer accounts on the database, recording their transactions accurately, and posting their payments timely. They may also sell new products and services to the clients, demonstrating features and usability, processing orders, and confirming delivery details. A customer relations specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills to ensure customer satisfaction and maintain healthy business relationships with the customers.
Account specialists and customer relations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Account Specialist | Customer Relations Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,586 | $37,827 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $62,000 | Between $27,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Columbia, MD |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Deloitte |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an account specialist and a customer relations specialist in terms of educational background:
| Account Specialist | Customer Relations Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between account specialists' and customer relations specialists' demographics:
| Account Specialist | Customer Relations Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 31.8% Female, 68.2% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |