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The differences between implementation specialists and customer success managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an implementation specialist, becoming a customer success manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a customer success manager has an average salary of $93,820, which is higher than the $56,545 average annual salary of an implementation specialist.
The top three skills for an implementation specialist include client expectations, customer service and business processes. The most important skills for a customer success manager are client facing, cloud, and account management.
| Implementation Specialist | Customer Success Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $56,545 | $93,820 |
| Hourly rate | $27.19 | $45.11 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 50,975 | 95,053 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 8 |
As the name entails, implementation specialists perform tasks related to the implementation of computer software and hardware, technical systems, or solutions. They are responsible for identifying clients' needs and determining how they will use the software or systems that they have acquired. They may also assist clients in setting up their equipment and perform additional tasks such as importing client data, creating customized reports, and modifying metrics. There are certain skills and qualifications to be considered to apply for this role, which includes a bachelor's degree in business, in-depth technical knowledge, and problem-solving skills.
A customer success manager works to understand repeat customers and prioritize their long-term needs. Primarily, they manage the customer relationship and give them prompt value propositions. They act as mentors to customers by educating them about the sales process and ensure efficient transaction processing. Their tasks include advocating for the company, onboarding customers to the products, follow-up on renewals, and encouraging cross-sells and upsells. Additionally, they build relationships with the customer and the support team as well as advocating customers' needs.
Implementation specialists and customer success managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Implementation Specialist | Customer Success Manager | |
| Average salary | $56,545 | $93,820 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $87,000 | Between $61,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | VMware | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an implementation specialist and a customer success manager in terms of educational background:
| Implementation Specialist | Customer Success Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between implementation specialists' and customer success managers' demographics:
| Implementation Specialist | Customer Success Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 10.7% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |