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Technical sales engineer vs engineer

The differences between technical sales engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a technical sales engineer and an engineer. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, which is higher than the $88,623 average annual salary of a technical sales engineer.

The top three skills for a technical sales engineer include customer service, sales process and product line. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.

Technical sales engineer vs engineer overview

Technical Sales EngineerEngineer
Yearly salary$88,623$92,077
Hourly rate$42.61$44.27
Growth rate6%2%
Number of jobs161,743618,207
Job satisfaction-4.33
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4441
Years of experience66

What does a technical sales engineer do?

A technical sales engineer is a sales professional who provides technical sales support and advice about the products and services. Your duties typically include consulting and selling on scientifically and technologically advanced products, organizing sales visits, and liaising contracts and terms and conditions. Additionally, you are expected to collaborate with the design, engineering, production, and research and development departments on how to modify products and services that meet customers' needs. You are also responsible for attending meetings, conferences, and trade shows.

What does an engineer do?

Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.

Technical sales engineer vs engineer salary

Technical sales engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Technical Sales EngineerEngineer
Average salary$88,623$92,077
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $122,000Between $65,000 And $130,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAHuntsville, AL
Highest paying stateOregonNew Hampshire
Best paying companyGoogleFort Bend County
Best paying industryTelecommunicationAutomotive

Differences between technical sales engineer and engineer education

There are a few differences between a technical sales engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:

Technical Sales EngineerEngineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMichigan Technological University

Technical sales engineer vs engineer demographics

Here are the differences between technical sales engineers' and engineers' demographics:

Technical Sales EngineerEngineer
Average age4441
Gender ratioMale, 88.6% Female, 11.4%Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage7%5%

Differences between technical sales engineer and engineer duties and responsibilities

Technical sales engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and maintain CRM database, including entering new opportunities into system and periodically updating existing customer profiles.
  • Steer RFP, RFQ, and bid management activities for new and existing customer engagements together with sales operations.
  • Establish back-office systems from scratch, including implementing order fulfillment system, CRM, and QuickBooks.
  • Educate the internal teams on the competitive landscape of cloud solutions as well as new partners.
  • Prepare request for proposal (RFP) responses in conjunction with the appropriate sales team as necessary.
  • Configure computer, server, and IP telephony system quotes per given requirements for current and potential customers.
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Engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage startup, trouble shooting and testing of PLC control equipment.
  • Lead project team to design and FDA validate 10-up extreme accuracy vial dosing system and CIP/SIP automate cleaning equipment.
  • Automate the creation of a WebLogic Admin and manage server deployment scheme within an installer for secure application deployment.
  • Install and test PLC in client own equipment on site - solve some logical and hardware issues to accomplish goal
  • Implement and manage continuous delivery systems and methodologies on AWS.
  • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
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Technical sales engineer vs engineer skills

Common technical sales engineer skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Sales Process, 8%
  • Product Line, 7%
  • Pre Sales, 7%
  • Technical Knowledge, 4%
  • Technical Expertise, 4%
Common engineer skills
  • Python, 8%
  • Cloud, 6%
  • C++, 5%
  • C #, 5%
  • AWS, 5%
  • Java, 4%