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Senior product specialist vs research specialist

The differences between senior product specialists and research 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 senior product specialist and a research specialist. Additionally, a senior product specialist has an average salary of $112,464, which is higher than the $52,662 average annual salary of a research specialist.

The top three skills for a senior product specialist include product management, healthcare and powerpoint. The most important skills for a research specialist are data collection, patients, and research projects.

Senior product specialist vs research specialist overview

Senior Product SpecialistResearch Specialist
Yearly salary$112,464$52,662
Hourly rate$54.07$25.32
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs72,10979,341
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age3737
Years of experience66

What does a senior product specialist do?

A senior product specialist is tasked with creating or improving products. In this role, they are instrumental in customizing, configuring, and creating new product solutions and subsequent deployment. Their responsibilities include leading all sales activities, identifying new markets, performing demonstrations for target customers, conducting market intelligence surveys to identify potential customers, creating sales proposals, negotiating sales agreements, developing drafts, sending out product development bulletins, and affecting production. They must also create and maintain relations with customers.

What does a research specialist do?

In a laboratory setting, a research specialist's responsibilities primarily revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, producing extensive detailed reports, reviewing results, and coordinating with senior researchers and other laboratory personnel to ensure the accuracy of results. Furthermore, a research specialist may contribute their expertise to other publications and articles, train or supervise new researchers, and implement all laboratory guidelines and safety regulations at all times.

Senior product specialist vs research specialist salary

Senior product specialists and research specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Product SpecialistResearch Specialist
Average salary$112,464$52,662
Salary rangeBetween $82,000 And $153,000Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyGoogleNovartis
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalTechnology

Differences between senior product specialist and research specialist education

There are a few differences between a senior product specialist and a research specialist in terms of educational background:

Senior Product SpecialistResearch Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorBusinessBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia

Senior product specialist vs research specialist demographics

Here are the differences between senior product specialists' and research specialists' demographics:

Senior Product SpecialistResearch Specialist
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 66.0% Female, 34.0%Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 13.4% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.1% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between senior product specialist and research specialist duties and responsibilities

Senior product specialist example responsibilities.

  • Demonstrate proficiency in handling forecasting of market demands while simultaneously managing OEM supplier relationships
  • Lead expert team that prove feasibility of manufacturing green elastomeric nonwovens by reactive extrusion.
  • Work with QA team to do application testing.
  • Compose responses to numerous FDA medical reviewer questions.
  • Enter all items and colors into PLM for each style.
  • Collaborate with design, development, and QA teams to build product.
  • Show more

Research specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage both GLP and non-GLP studies that are contracted to CROs.
  • Create weekly presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and manage monthly board meetings.
  • Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
  • Assist in surgical procedures on both rabbits and rats to obtain tissue specimens for RNA isolation for subsequent RT-PCR
  • Perform and supervise applied bench scale and pilot scale process research on extraction, distillation, and reaction processes.
  • Perform the timely and accurate execution of CESG protocols, procedures and results within the cloning and crystallography teams.
  • Show more

Senior product specialist vs research specialist skills

Common senior product specialist skills
  • Product Management, 8%
  • Healthcare, 8%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • Product Development, 6%
  • Market Research, 4%
  • Product Line, 4%
Common research specialist skills
  • Data Collection, 7%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Research Projects, 7%
  • Data Analysis, 5%
  • Molecular Biology, 5%
  • Cell Culture, 4%

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