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The differences between account specialists and retention 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 retention specialist. Additionally, an account specialist has an average salary of $42,586, which is higher than the $37,175 average annual salary of a retention specialist.
The top three skills for an account specialist include customer service, patients and account management. The most important skills for a retention specialist are customer service, outbound calls, and powerpoint.
| Account Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $42,586 | $37,175 |
| Hourly rate | $20.47 | $17.87 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 116,010 | 199,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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 retention specialist is responsible for devising strategies to maintain a healthy relationship with clients. They are primarily in charge of negotiating and securing contract renewals, handling issues and corrective measures for customer satisfaction, utilizing feedback to improve services, and maintaining a healthy rapport to strengthen the client base. Furthermore, as a retention specialist, it is essential to perform calls and correspondence, keep records of all transactions, and coordinate with work-staff.
Account specialists and retention specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Account Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Average salary | $42,586 | $37,175 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $62,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Adobe |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an account specialist and a retention specialist in terms of educational background:
| Account Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between account specialists' and retention specialists' demographics:
| Account Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 7% |