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The differences between inside sales engineers and sales support specialists 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 a sales support specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sales support specialist has an average salary of $50,782, which is higher than the $50,487 average annual salary of an inside sales engineer.
The top three skills for an inside sales engineer include customer service, product knowledge and CRM. The most important skills for a sales support specialist are customer service, sales support, and powerpoint.
| Inside Sales Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,487 | $50,782 |
| Hourly rate | $24.27 | $24.41 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 156,700 | 238,995 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
A sales support specialist is primarily responsible for performing clerical tasks to support a sales team. Typically, they gather sales leads and data, produce progress reports and presentations, maintain records of all transactions, and liaise with different accounting personnel. A sales support specialist may respond to calls and inquiries, resolving customers' complaints and concerns promptly and professionally. Furthermore, one may arrange meetings and appointments with clients, develop sales strategies for profit growth, and process orders, all while ensuring customer satisfaction.
Inside sales engineers and sales support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Inside Sales Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,487 | $50,782 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $76,000 | Between $31,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alexandria, VA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Fluid Components International | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between an inside sales engineer and a sales support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Inside Sales Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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 sales support specialists' demographics:
| Inside Sales Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |