What degree do you need to be a specialist?

You do not need a degree to be a specialist. Specialists may have a variety of educational backgrounds and or work experience. Many specialists have bachelor's degrees in training and development, human resources, education, or instructional design. Others may have a degree in business administration or social science, such as educational or organizational psychology. However, it's not a requirement.

What is an associate specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Mike Thornton Ph.D.

An associate specialist possesses advanced knowledge and skills in a specific field, such as medicine or engineering. They typically work alongside senior professionals, providing support and assistance in research, analysis, and problem-solving. Some of the tasks an associate specialist may undertake include conducting experiments, analyzing data, designing projects, and developing strategies to improve processes or systems. They may also be responsible for training and mentoring junior staff.

What general advice would you give to an associate specialist?

Mike Thornton Ph.D.

Parma Chair and Professor, University of Idaho

Stay curious! The average career is about 40 years long, so you only get 40 chances to try something new or learn a new skill, take advantage of that to expand your knowledge and expertise set every year.

ScoreAssociate SpecialistUS Average

Salary

7.3

Avg. Salary $93,288

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 8.26%

Black or African American 10.22%

Hispanic or Latino 18.82%

Unknown 5.29%

White 56.84%

Gender

female 59.09%

male 40.91%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.5

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an associate specialist?

Pros

Possibility of higher salary than entry-level positions
Potential for flexible work hours and remote work options
Job security as there is always demand for specialized expertise
Possibility of travel to different locations for work assignments
Potential for bonuses or other performance-based incentives

Cons

Long hours and heavy workload can lead to burnout
Competition for positions can make it difficult to advance or secure promotions
Limited job mobility as skills may be highly specialized and not easily transferable
Limited work-life balance due to demanding schedules and client needs
Potential for conflict with clients or coworkers due to differing opinions

Key steps to become an associate specialist

Explore associate specialist education requirements

Most common associate specialist degrees

Bachelor's

59.5 %

Associate

15.5 %

Master's

8.5 %

Start to develop specific associate specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Windows	47.34%
Product Knowledge	44.42%
Phone Calls	0.98%
HR	0.61%
Customer Service	0.52%

Complete relevant associate specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New associate specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an associate specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real associate specialist resumes.

Research associate specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage FDA regulate products requirements for ISO2000 quality assurance.
Manage coordination, implementation and installation of next generation telemarketing system, an nt-base, client server environment.
Implement SharePoint business practices for 10k end users.
Organize an update data find in CRM system.

Prepare your associate specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your associate specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an associate specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable associate specialist resume templates

Build a professional associate specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your associate specialist resume.