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The differences between clinical specialists and medical specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a clinical specialist, becoming a medical specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a clinical specialist has an average salary of $67,002, which is higher than the $40,277 average annual salary of a medical specialist.
The top three skills for a clinical specialist include patients, excellent interpersonal and patient care. The most important skills for a medical specialist are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Clinical Specialist | Medical Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $67,002 | $40,277 |
| Hourly rate | $32.21 | $19.36 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 55,670 | 68,607 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A Clinical Specialists role is to assist in the selling of particular medical devices that need more detailed and complex knowledge. They work in laboratories as part of a team of technologists, technicians, and supervisors.
Medical specialists are responsible for diagnosing patients and performing medical procedures according to their areas of expertise. They coordinate with the clinical team on administering medications, conducting laboratory examinations, and monitoring admitted patients, ensuring that they receive high-quality care services from the medical staff. A medical specialist also communicates with the patients' families to respond to their medical inquiries and concerns, as well as providing them with updates on the patients' progress. A medical specialist observes the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities at all times, including the inspection of medical tools and equipment for operations.
Clinical specialists and medical specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Specialist | Medical Specialist | |
| Average salary | $67,002 | $40,277 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $113,000 | Between $21,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Adobe |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a clinical specialist and a medical specialist in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Specialist | Medical Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between clinical specialists' and medical specialists' demographics:
| Clinical Specialist | Medical Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 9.0% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |