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The differences between research support specialists and marketing consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a research support specialist and a marketing consultant. Additionally, a marketing consultant has an average salary of $70,593, which is higher than the $47,994 average annual salary of a research support specialist.
The top three skills for a research support specialist include research support, data collection and research projects. The most important skills for a marketing consultant are customer service, web content, and media sales.
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $70,593 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $33.94 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 88,935 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A research support specialist is primarily in charge of performing administrative support and analytical tasks. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to gather necessary data, preparing and processing documentation on behalf of researchers, liaising with internal or external parties, troubleshooting problems, and maintaining records of all transactions. There are also instances when one must conduct studies, prepare manuscripts, develop strategies to optimize operations, and participate in implementing new research methods, all while adhering to the company or institution's policies and regulations.
A marketing consultant is responsible for utilizing their extensive retail expertise to develop strategies on how to strengthen client base and achieve better sales. Furthermore, a marketing consultant must perform research and analysis to determine opportunities for financial gains, devise plans to improve client satisfaction, assess the competition, look out for any risks, and develop its brand and image. They should also ensure that all steps taken adhere to the policies and regulations of the organization.
Research support specialists and marketing consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Consultant | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $70,593 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $44,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a marketing consultant in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and marketing consultants' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Consultant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.4% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 10.8% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |