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The differences between commercial sales specialists and commercial sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a commercial sales specialist and a commercial sales associate. Additionally, a commercial sales specialist has an average salary of $73,492, which is higher than the $55,859 average annual salary of a commercial sales associate.
The top three skills for a commercial sales specialist include customer accounts, customer complaints and inventory control. The most important skills for a commercial sales associate are cash handling, financial statements, and treasury.
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Commercial Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $73,492 | $55,859 |
| Hourly rate | $35.33 | $26.86 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 124,771 | 261,436 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A commercial sales specialist is responsible for selling the company's goods and services to corporate organizations and identifying business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase profits for the company. Commercial sales specialists determine the customers' needs and recommend product solutions by discussing and demonstrating product features and benefits, responding to their inquiries and concerns, and resolving complaints. They also work closely with the marketing team to enhance promotional efforts and media strategies to improve brand recognition in the market.
A commercial sales associate specializes in representing a company to offer products and services to businesses and organizations, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify business and client opportunities, pursuing leads, reaching out through calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, explaining or demonstrating products, and negotiating contracts. Aside from securing sales with businesses, a commercial sales associate must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, arranging schedules, and maintaining records of all transactions, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Commercial sales specialists and commercial sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Commercial Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $73,492 | $55,859 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $112,000 | Between $28,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Glen Cove, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | Maine |
| Best paying company | - | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a commercial sales specialist and a commercial sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Commercial Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between commercial sales specialists' and commercial sales associates' demographics:
| Commercial Sales Specialist | Commercial Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |