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The differences between account specialists and sales 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 a sales account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a sales account manager has an average salary of $58,630, 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 a sales account manager are customer service, CRM, and customer satisfaction.
| Account Specialist | Sales Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $42,586 | $58,630 |
| Hourly rate | $20.47 | $28.19 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 116,010 | 163,697 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| 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.
The account sales manager is in charge of the retention of their customer relationship. They have to supervise the portfolio of existing clients, develop new business with them, and seek new sales opportunities. Account sales managers act as liaisons between the company and customer as well as build strong, long-lasting relationships by providing an improved customer experience. It is their responsibility to negotiate contracts and close deals to maximize sales profits. Also, they forecast track sales results and prepare reports on account status.
Account specialists and sales account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Account Specialist | Sales Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $42,586 | $58,630 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $62,000 | Between $33,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an account specialist and a sales account manager in terms of educational background:
| Account Specialist | Sales 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 sales account managers' demographics:
| Account Specialist | Sales Account Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% | Male, 63.4% Female, 36.6% |
| 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% |