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The differences between technical account managers and account 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 technical account manager, becoming an account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a technical account manager has an average salary of $100,010, which is higher than the $68,535 average annual salary of an account manager.
The top three skills for a technical account manager include cloud, database and project management. The most important skills for an account manager are customer service, account management, and healthcare.
| Technical Account Manager | Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $100,010 | $68,535 |
| Hourly rate | $48.08 | $32.95 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 154,495 | 152,261 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 8 |
A technical account manager is primarily responsible for providing technical support to clients through calls and correspondence, securing sales and ensuring customer satisfaction. Aside from assisting clients, a technical account manager may conduct an assessment to determine the needs of a client, perform follow up calls, offer upgrades and add-ons, answer inquiries, troubleshoot, and even provide extensive and detailed instructions to customers on using their products or services. Furthermore, a technical account manager must monitor the delivery of services and report progress to managers or supervisors.
Account managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.
Technical account managers and account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Account Manager | Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $100,010 | $68,535 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $135,000 | Between $42,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Pure Storage | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical account manager and an account manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Account Manager | Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between technical account managers' and account managers' demographics:
| Technical Account Manager | Account Manager | |
| Average age | 40 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% | Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 7% |