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Specialist vs requirements manager

The differences between specialists and requirements managers 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 manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a requirements manager has an average salary of $87,310, 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 manager are java, client facing, and emerging technologies.

Specialist vs requirements manager overview

SpecialistRequirements Manager
Yearly salary$58,013$87,310
Hourly rate$27.89$41.98
Growth rate10%16%
Number of jobs358,43364,837
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4247
Years of experience28

What does a specialist do?

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.

What does a requirements manager do?

A Requirements Manager develops and oversees procedures to ensure that projects meet their needs. They focus on identifying project requirements through extensive research and analysis, conceptualizing plans to attain them. There are also instances when they must spearhead product and requirement reviews, identifying their strengths and weaknesses to develop solutions against potential problem areas. Most Requirements Managers manage development teams, leading and encouraging them to reach goals while implementing company standards and regulations for a smooth and efficient workflow.

Specialist vs requirements manager salary

Specialists and requirements managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

SpecialistRequirements Manager
Average salary$58,013$87,310
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $104,000Between $56,000 And $135,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJ-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyThe Citadel-
Best paying industry--

Differences between specialist and requirements manager education

There are a few differences between a specialist and a requirements manager in terms of educational background:

SpecialistRequirements Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Specialist vs requirements manager demographics

Here are the differences between specialists' and requirements managers' demographics:

SpecialistRequirements Manager
Average age4247
Gender ratioMale, 47.5% Female, 52.5%Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between specialist and requirements manager duties and responsibilities

Specialist example responsibilities.

  • Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
  • Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
  • Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
  • Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
  • Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
  • Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).
  • Show more

Requirements manager example responsibilities.

  • Develop SQL programs to automate updates to tables in TIMS.
  • Manage the division's database and coordinate with contractors in its development.
  • Configure and manage VMware host server 3.5 and 4.0 and guest servers.
  • Manage and coordinate the functional requirements for counterintelligence (CI) and human intelligence (HUMINT) communities.
  • Manage programming and development teams for ERP and in-house app development for iOS, web and other applications.
  • Conduct JAD sessions throughout the project to communicate and manage expectations with the business users and the feature content team.
  • Show more

Specialist vs requirements manager skills

Common specialist skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Work Ethic, 5%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Exceptional Client, 4%
  • Troubleshoot, 4%
Common requirements manager skills
  • Java, 22%
  • Client Facing, 15%
  • Emerging Technologies, 6%
  • Lean Six Sigma, 6%
  • Lifecycle Management, 5%
  • Requirements Management, 4%

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