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The differences between solution specialists and solutions analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a solution specialist, becoming a solutions analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a solutions analyst has an average salary of $80,370, which is higher than the $76,424 average annual salary of a solution specialist.
The top three skills for a solution specialist include product knowledge, sales process and SQL. The most important skills for a solutions analyst are project management, customer service, and java.
| Solution Specialist | Solutions Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $76,424 | $80,370 |
| Hourly rate | $36.74 | $38.64 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 56,938 | 167,971 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A solution specialist is responsible for selling and promoting goods and services of an organization to existing and potential clients through product demonstrations and professional sales pitches, typically on phone calls and e-mail communication. Solutions specialists must possess strong product knowledge to respond to customers' inquiries and concerns about the products and successfully close sales deals that would increase the company's revenues and profitability. A solutions specialist must have excellent communication and customer service skills, maximizing strategic techniques to build customer satisfaction.
A solutions analyst is an individual who has in-depth knowledge of a wide range of software products. You will perform various tasks that include isolating key issues, defining requirements and scope, and reviewing a few potential solutions. As a solutions analyst, you will refine the company's business objectives into business requirements and move any project ideas from design to delivery. Additional duties include working closely with stakeholders to understand the enterprise impact assessment, working across all products and channels to ensure business success, and facilitating communication between the stakeholders and the business and technology teams.
Solution specialists and solutions analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solution Specialist | Solutions Analyst | |
| Average salary | $76,424 | $80,370 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $125,000 | Between $59,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Retail |
There are a few differences between a solution specialist and a solutions analyst in terms of educational background:
| Solution Specialist | Solutions Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between solution specialists' and solutions analysts' demographics:
| Solution Specialist | Solutions Analyst | |
| Average age | 40 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 61.1% Female, 38.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.7% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.5% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |