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The differences between sales support engineers and sales support associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a sales support engineer, becoming a sales support associate takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sales support engineer has an average salary of $78,335, which is higher than the $34,454 average annual salary of a sales support associate.
The top three skills for a sales support engineer include CRM, product line and sales process. The most important skills for a sales support associate are sales floor, back room, and math.
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $78,335 | $34,454 |
| Hourly rate | $37.66 | $16.56 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 118,608 | 447,642 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 sales support associate is an individual who is responsible for assisting sales staff and help customers. To provide this assistance, sales support associates use customer communication methods such as telephones or email to process customer orders and ensure that they are accurate. They work closely with distributors to make sure that products are available for their customers. Sales support associates may function as either part-time or full time, but companies may require excellent communication skills.
Sales support engineers and sales support associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Associate | |
| Average salary | $78,335 | $34,454 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $116,000 | Between $25,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fort Collins, CO | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Agilent Technologies | Goldman Sachs |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a sales support engineer and a sales support associate in terms of educational background:
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between sales support engineers' and sales support associates' demographics:
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Associate | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |