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The differences between acquisition specialists and 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 acquisition specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an acquisition specialist has an average salary of $65,906, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for an acquisition specialist include program management, market research and DOD. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Acquisition Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,906 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $31.69 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 17,543 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
An acquisition specialist is in charge of developing strategies to acquire goods and services on behalf of a company. Their responsibilities include coordinating with different departments to gather data, conducting extensive research and analysis to find cost-efficient materials and resources, liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, negotiating contracts, and arranging payment plans. Furthermore, an acquisition specialist may also participate in a company's employment procedures and recruit potential employees in adherence to the company's vision and mission.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Acquisition specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acquisition Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $65,906 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $99,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Amazon | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between an acquisition specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Acquisition Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between acquisition specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Acquisition Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 7.6% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |