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The differences between clinical support specialists and support associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a clinical support specialist and a support associate. Additionally, a support associate has an average salary of $47,039, which is higher than the $45,892 average annual salary of a clinical support specialist.
The top three skills for a clinical support specialist include patients, clinical support and home health. The most important skills for a support associate are sales floor, computer system, and POS.
| Clinical Support Specialist | Support Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $45,892 | $47,039 |
| Hourly rate | $22.06 | $22.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 161,163 | 100,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical support specialist is in charge of assisting medical workers and clients in hospitals or similar facilities. Among their responsibilities include gathering patient information and medical histories, collecting payment and insurance details, helping patients fill out forms, answering calls and correspondence, and assisting staff as needed. A clinical support specialist may also participate in medical research and studies, providing clerical support to researchers and medical experts. Furthermore, it is essential to function while implementing the facility's safety policies and regulations.
The primary role of sales support associates is to help sales staff and customers during the sales process. A sales support associate also performs other tasks that include maintaining positive customer relations, responding to customers' requests for quotes, information, and specifications, and, initiating contact with prospective customers. They are also responsible for coordinating proposals, sales literature production, and presentations. Requirements for this position include a high school diploma or general education development, administrative and communication skills, and organizational skills.
Clinical support specialists and support associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Support Specialist | Support Associate | |
| Average salary | $45,892 | $47,039 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $71,000 | Between $26,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Apollo Global Management |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a clinical support specialist and a support associate in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Support Specialist | Support Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical support specialists' and support associates' demographics:
| Clinical Support Specialist | Support Associate | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6% | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |