Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between service specialists and foreign service officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a service specialist, becoming a foreign service officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a foreign service officer has an average salary of $87,433, which is higher than the $44,150 average annual salary of a service specialist.
The top three skills for a service specialist include patients, social work and criminal justice. The most important skills for a foreign service officer are USG, international organizations, and technical assistance.
| Service Specialist | Foreign Service Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $44,150 | $87,433 |
| Hourly rate | $21.23 | $42.04 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 207,020 | 57,644 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 40 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A service specialist is responsible for assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns about the services offered by the organization. Service specialists' duties include responding to customers' requests, updating customers of promotional offers and new services, escalating high-level concerns to the appropriate department, and keeping accurate records of clients' issues and resolutions. Service specialists are also in charge of preparing customer surveys to rate their satisfaction and identifying opportunities for service improvement. A service specialist must display excellent customer service and communication skills to address clients' concerns efficiently and accurately.
Foreign service officers aim to promote peace, support prosperity, and safeguard citizens whilst promoting their country's interest abroad. Your responsibilities in this role will include defending your nation's foreign policy in political conversations and helping citizens who are traveling overseas get their visas. You may also assist with international adoption issues and handle matters involving citizens' birth and death abroad. You may have to deal with NGOs, human rights activists, journalists, etc. To be a successful foreign service officer, you need to develop skills in leadership, negotiation, and innovation.
Service specialists and foreign service officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Specialist | Foreign Service Officer | |
| Average salary | $44,150 | $87,433 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $71,000 | Between $55,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Ropes & Gray | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a service specialist and a foreign service officer in terms of educational background:
| Service Specialist | Foreign Service Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | - | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between service specialists' and foreign service officers' demographics:
| Service Specialist | Foreign Service Officer | |
| Average age | 40 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.1% Female, 59.9% | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 7.5% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 12% |