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The differences between research support specialists and marketing specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a marketing specialist has an average salary of $54,942, 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 specialist are digital marketing, marketing campaigns, and project management.
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $54,942 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $26.41 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 87,145 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| 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 specialist's primary responsibility revolves around conducting thorough market research and analysis to acquire extensive knowledge and understanding of a brand and how it will work in the consumer market. They must determine and come up with strategies and utilize this to develop various programs or campaigns that would be vital in bringing more awareness to the brand, thus boosting sales and improving client base. Furthermore, a marketing specialist must also use their expertise to figure out new opportunities and trends that will work for the company.
Research support specialists and marketing specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Specialist | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $54,942 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $36,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a marketing specialist in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and marketing specialists' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Marketing Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5% |
| 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, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |