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The differences between senior program specialists/program specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior program specialist/program specialist, becoming a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior program specialist/program specialist has an average salary of $84,195, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a senior program specialist/program specialist include project management, process improvement and powerpoint. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,195 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $40.48 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 95,580 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A senior program specialist must have multi-dimensional skills to handle programs. They work under the supervision of a program leader, associate director, or senior program director. They conduct critical research, manage contracts, and identify possible partners. They also give training to junior specialists in their company.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Senior program specialists/program specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,195 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $123,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Uber Technologies | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | - |
There are a few differences between a senior program specialist/program specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior program specialists/program specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Senior Program Specialist/Program Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 50.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |