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The differences between program research specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a program research specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a program research specialist has an average salary of $60,904, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a program research specialist include data analysis, data collection and mathematics. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Program Research Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $60,904 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $29.28 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 115,466 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Program research specialists are professionals who are responsible for performing duties related to the business research program of an organization. These specialists must manage several major marketing research projects that aim to assess CRM solutions, marketing automation, and customer service processes. They must collect qualitative data and perform data analysis to create internal reports and provide recommendations to clients to improve services. Program research specialists must also use various software packages that can summarize and interpret statistical results.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Program research specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Research Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $60,904 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $90,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | SAP | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a program research specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Program Research Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between program research specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Program Research Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.2% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |