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The differences between sales support engineers and pre sales engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a sales support engineer and a pre sales engineer. Additionally, a pre sales engineer has an average salary of $116,651, which is higher than the $78,335 average annual salary of a sales support engineer.
The top three skills for a sales support engineer include CRM, product line and sales process. The most important skills for a pre sales engineer are sales process, pre sales, and cloud.
| Sales Support Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,335 | $116,651 |
| Hourly rate | $37.66 | $56.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 118,608 | 68,855 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A sales support engineer assists customers by dealing with complex issues and concerns, resolving them using their technical expertise. They usually communicate with customers using calls and correspondence, and through this, they also develop and deliver sales proposals, answer inquiries, and provide price quotes. Moreover, a sales support engineer also works to assist sales teams by conducting research and analyses to develop procedures that will optimize operations, producing data and guidelines, and creating sales strategies for profit growth.
A pre-sales engineer's role is to assist clients by offering technology recommendations and advice, aiming to secure sales and client satisfaction. Aside from selling products and services, a pre-sales engineer is also responsible for coordinating with various sales personnel, identifying the needs of clients, discussing how the equipment and devices can help attain business goals, and answering any inquiries about the subject. Furthermore, it is essential to develop positive relationships with clients, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Sales support engineers and pre sales engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Support Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,335 | $116,651 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $116,000 | Between $84,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fort Collins, CO | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Agilent Technologies | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a sales support engineer and a pre sales engineer in terms of educational background:
| Sales Support Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between sales support engineers' and pre sales engineers' demographics:
| Sales Support Engineer | Pre Sales Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 8.2% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 75.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |