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The differences between inside sales engineers and inside sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an inside sales engineer, becoming an inside sales associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an inside sales engineer has an average salary of $50,487, which is higher than the $40,687 average annual salary of an inside sales associate.
The top three skills for an inside sales engineer include customer service, product knowledge and CRM. The most important skills for an inside sales associate are inside sales, sales associates, and strong customer service.
| Inside Sales Engineer | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $50,487 | $40,687 |
| Hourly rate | $24.27 | $19.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 156,700 | 320,863 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An inside sales engineer is an individual who uses specialized technical knowledge to negotiate between sales units and clients to increase the profits and revenue of a company. Inside sales, engineers must seek clients who will benefit from their products or services and aim to maximize client potential in the different allocated regions. Inside sales engineers must also provide technical help and carry out training, if necessary, once a sale has been made.
An inside sales associate is responsible for selling the company's goods and services through remote communication. Inside sales associates make calls to potential customers, demonstrate the products' features, take orders, process payments, and inform the customers of the delivery details. They strategize the most effective sales pitches to attract the customers on purchasing more services that would generate revenues and increase the company's profitability and brand image. An inside sales associate also supports the marketing team in developing marketing campaigns and promotional offers depending on customer demands and requests.
Inside sales engineers and inside sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inside Sales Engineer | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Average salary | $50,487 | $40,687 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $76,000 | Between $30,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alexandria, VA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Fluid Components International | MSCI |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an inside sales engineer and an inside sales associate in terms of educational background:
| Inside Sales Engineer | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between inside sales engineers' and inside sales associates' demographics:
| Inside Sales Engineer | Inside Sales Associate | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 5.7% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |