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The differences between directors, market research and product specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director, market research and a product specialist. Additionally, a director, market research has an average salary of $112,955, which is higher than the $85,932 average annual salary of a product specialist.
The top three skills for a director, market research include market research, data analysis and competitive intelligence. The most important skills for a product specialist are customer service, product knowledge, and sales floor.
| Director, Market Research | Product Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $112,955 | $85,932 |
| Hourly rate | $54.31 | $41.31 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 59,598 | 103,863 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A director of market research oversees and directs the market research programs of a company. They must set goals and timelines, establish budgets and strategies, liaise with internal and external parties, and develop market research plans according to company objectives and standards. They may also participate in recruiting researchers and other experts, conducting market research and interviews, identifying key participants, and reviewing findings. Moreover, they lead staff in the joint effort to reach program goals, all while implementing company policies and regulations.
A product specialist is required to have excellent knowledge about a product and work with a business unit to ensure excellent product delivery. Product specialists perform product demonstrations to customers and other stakeholders and assist in their promotions and product releases. To gain increased revenue, product specialists must be able to identify new market opportunities. They are required to conduct product and sales training for the marketing team. They must also provide reports about their product-related activities to the management.
Directors, market research and product specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director, Market Research | Product Specialist | |
| Average salary | $112,955 | $85,932 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $185,000 | Between $56,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, DE | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Barclays | ByteDance |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a director, market research and a product specialist in terms of educational background:
| Director, Market Research | Product Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between directors, market research' and product specialists' demographics:
| Director, Market Research | Product Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% | Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.7% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 10.6% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |