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The differences between specialists and requirements engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a specialist, becoming a requirements engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a requirements engineer has an average salary of $87,170, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a specialist include patients, customer service and work ethic. The most important skills for a requirements engineer are java, software development, and powerpoint.
| Specialist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,013 | $87,170 |
| Hourly rate | $27.89 | $41.91 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 358,433 | 166,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
Requirements engineers are responsible for the analysis, documentation, coordination, and management of requirements regarding new software projects. They identify and understand the customer's project-specific demands and document them in a clear and binding way. Their duties and responsibilities also include preparing well-written and detailed documentation of the project and ensuring the project is designed and built within the legal parameters.
Specialists and requirements engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Specialist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average salary | $58,013 | $87,170 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $104,000 | Between $62,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a specialist and a requirements engineer in terms of educational background:
| Specialist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between specialists' and requirements engineers' demographics:
| Specialist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |