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The differences between research support specialists and marketing representatives 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 representative. Additionally, a research support specialist has an average salary of $47,994, which is higher than the $47,376 average annual salary of a marketing representative.
The top three skills for a research support specialist include research support, data collection and research projects. The most important skills for a marketing representative are product knowledge, customer service, and sales presentations.
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $47,376 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $22.78 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 217,886 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 representative's responsibilities will vary on the line of work or industry. However, it is the role of a marketing representative to engage with clients and secure sales by promoting, demonstrating, and even advertising products or services. Furthermore, they must devise marketing strategies, conduct research and analysis through surveys and polls, lookout for new opportunities and trends, and coordinate with advertisers. One must have extensive knowledge about the product as well as communication skills, being that building rapport will be very useful in accomplishing every task.
Research support specialists and marketing representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Representative | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $47,376 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $28,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Education | Finance |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a marketing representative in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and marketing representatives' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Representative | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3% |
| 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, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |