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The differences between sales support engineers and technical 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 technical sales engineer. Additionally, a technical sales engineer has an average salary of $88,623, 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 technical sales engineer are customer service, sales process, and product line.
| Sales Support Engineer | Technical Sales Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,335 | $88,623 |
| Hourly rate | $37.66 | $42.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 118,608 | 161,743 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| 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 technical sales engineer is a sales professional who provides technical sales support and advice about the products and services. Your duties typically include consulting and selling on scientifically and technologically advanced products, organizing sales visits, and liaising contracts and terms and conditions. Additionally, you are expected to collaborate with the design, engineering, production, and research and development departments on how to modify products and services that meet customers' needs. You are also responsible for attending meetings, conferences, and trade shows.
Sales support engineers and technical sales engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Support Engineer | Technical Sales Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,335 | $88,623 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $116,000 | Between $63,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fort Collins, CO | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Agilent Technologies | |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a sales support engineer and a technical sales engineer in terms of educational background:
| Sales Support Engineer | Technical Sales Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between sales support engineers' and technical sales engineers' demographics:
| Sales Support Engineer | Technical Sales Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2% | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% |
| 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, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |