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The differences between sales support engineers and sales support specialists 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 specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sales support engineer has an average salary of $78,335, which is higher than the $50,782 average annual salary of a sales support specialist.
The top three skills for a sales support engineer include CRM, product line and sales process. The most important skills for a sales support specialist are customer service, sales support, and powerpoint.
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $78,335 | $50,782 |
| Hourly rate | $37.66 | $24.41 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 118,608 | 238,995 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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 specialist is primarily responsible for performing clerical tasks to support a sales team. Typically, they gather sales leads and data, produce progress reports and presentations, maintain records of all transactions, and liaise with different accounting personnel. A sales support specialist may respond to calls and inquiries, resolving customers' complaints and concerns promptly and professionally. Furthermore, one may arrange meetings and appointments with clients, develop sales strategies for profit growth, and process orders, all while ensuring customer satisfaction.
Sales support engineers and sales support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Average salary | $78,335 | $50,782 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $116,000 | Between $31,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fort Collins, CO | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Agilent Technologies | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Professional |
There are a few differences between a sales support engineer and a sales support specialist in terms of educational background:
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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 specialists' demographics:
| Sales Support Engineer | Sales Support Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |