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Solution specialist vs solutions architect

The differences between solution specialists and solutions architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a solutions architect has an average salary of $116,327, 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 architect are cloud, java, and AWS.

Solution specialist vs solutions architect overview

Solution SpecialistSolutions Architect
Yearly salary$76,424$116,327
Hourly rate$36.74$55.93
Growth rate-4%3%
Number of jobs56,938107,754
Job satisfaction-4.5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age4044
Years of experience12-

What does a solution specialist do?

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.

What does a solutions architect do?

A solutions architect specializes in creating and implementing software systems that improve business operations and resolve network issues. They are primarily responsible for conducting research and analysis to assess the business's needs, develop specific designs for the company, provide solutions should there be any system issues, and keep company officials informed with all changes and updates. Furthermore, a solutions architect must lead and encourage development teams, stay up to date with the newest trends to continue innovations within the systems, and implement its policies and guidelines.

Solution specialist vs solutions architect salary

Solution specialists and solutions architects have different pay scales, as shown below.

Solution SpecialistSolutions Architect
Average salary$76,424$116,327
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $125,000Between $87,000 And $154,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaCalifornia
Best paying companyPayPalAirbnb
Best paying industry-Retail

Differences between solution specialist and solutions architect education

There are a few differences between a solution specialist and a solutions architect in terms of educational background:

Solution SpecialistSolutions Architect
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common majorBusinessComputer Science
Most common college-Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Solution specialist vs solutions architect demographics

Here are the differences between solution specialists' and solutions architects' demographics:

Solution SpecialistSolutions Architect
Average age4044
Gender ratioMale, 58.4% Female, 41.6%Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage7%11%

Differences between solution specialist and solutions architect duties and responsibilities

Solution specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead multiple team meetings covering best practices, new policy and procedures, and explaining new MBO targets.
  • Manage existing accounts while identifying new sources of opportunities for sales in the SME segment through cold calling and prospecting.
  • Manage payroll and overall candidate compliance regarding eligibility of employment and new hire paperwork.
  • Manage billing inquiries, encourage cross-selling and referral for additional property and casualty lines of business.
  • Manage Microsoft SQL consolidation project to improve the operational efficiency of database servers and reduce their licensing costs.
  • Research and implement new technology solutions including a CRM software, email marketing opportunities, and a company blog.
  • Show more

Solutions architect example responsibilities.

  • Manage a staff of 15 to 25 resources Sr.
  • Coordinate with scrum masters and development leads to identify risks, gaps and come up with mitigation plan.
  • Lead SDLC implementation activities including training, orientation, workshop facilitation, and resource coordination.
  • Provide strategic direction for VMWARE storage integration for SAN & NAS technology.
  • Plan, design, build custom server racks using both Linux and windows servers to meet client needs.
  • Establish the service identification toolkit, implement the SaaS for legacy and host systems and formulate the service governance board.
  • Show more

Solution specialist vs solutions architect skills

Common solution specialist skills
  • Product Knowledge, 17%
  • Sales Process, 12%
  • SQL, 6%
  • Java, 6%
  • Azure, 6%
  • Windows, 5%
Common solutions architect skills
  • Cloud, 11%
  • Java, 6%
  • AWS, 5%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Analytics, 5%
  • Digital Transformation, 5%

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