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The differences between contracting officers and senior specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior specialist has an average salary of $92,360, which is higher than the $60,007 average annual salary of a contracting officer.
The top three skills for a contracting officer include contractor proposals, contract administration and contract management. The most important skills for a senior specialist are customer service, patients, and SR.
| Contracting Officer | Senior Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $60,007 | $92,360 |
| Hourly rate | $28.85 | $44.40 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,896 | 80,308 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
In government agencies, a Contracting Officer plays a vital role in securing contracts for different projects. They are responsible for liaising with internal and external parties, conducting research and analyses, developing plans to attain project requirements, negotiating contracts, and procuring materials according to standards. They are also responsible for supervising the administrative processes related to the deals, from planning to execution, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, it is essential to function as a contracting officer while adhering to government policies and regulations.
A senior specialist is a financial professional responsible for assisting senior citizens in managing their economic activities. Senior specialists must manage a portfolio of investors to ensure that foreclosed properties are ready for title transfer and monetary reimbursements. To reach compliance goals, senior specialists must provide staff training on Microsoft Office suite and other software applications. They also handle customer complaints through phone or email and provide their customer with the proper solution.
Contracting officers and senior specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracting Officer | Senior Specialist | |
| Average salary | $60,007 | $92,360 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $95,000 | Between $63,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Cheniere Energy |
| Best paying industry | Government | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a contracting officer and a senior specialist in terms of educational background:
| Contracting Officer | Senior Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between contracting officers' and senior specialists' demographics:
| Contracting Officer | Senior Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |