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The differences between inside product specialists and sales support associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an inside product specialist and a sales support associate. Additionally, a sales support associate has an average salary of $34,454, which is higher than the $34,230 average annual salary of an inside product specialist.
The top three skills for an inside product specialist include sales process, service offerings and customer relationships. The most important skills for a sales support associate are sales floor, back room, and math.
| Inside Product Specialist | Sales Support Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $34,230 | $34,454 |
| Hourly rate | $16.46 | $16.56 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 79,599 | 447,642 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Inside Product Specialist is typically in charge of securing product sales by reaching out to potential customers and businesses through calls and correspondence, building positive client relationships along the way. They offer products and services, discuss product specifications, introduce promotions, answer inquiries, arrange payment plans, and even process payments. Their responsibilities also include conducting research and analysis to find client and business opportunities, generating leads, and maintaining transaction records. Inside Product Specialists may perform follow-up calls, negotiate contracts, and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
A sales support associate is an individual who is responsible for assisting sales staff and help customers. To provide this assistance, sales support associates use customer communication methods such as telephones or email to process customer orders and ensure that they are accurate. They work closely with distributors to make sure that products are available for their customers. Sales support associates may function as either part-time or full time, but companies may require excellent communication skills.
Inside product specialists and sales support associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inside Product Specialist | Sales Support Associate | |
| Average salary | $34,230 | $34,454 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $49,000 | Between $25,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Goldman Sachs |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between an inside product specialist and a sales support associate in terms of educational background:
| Inside Product Specialist | Sales Support Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between inside product specialists' and sales support associates' demographics:
| Inside Product Specialist | Sales Support Associate | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.7% Female, 27.3% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |