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The differences between advisory board members and consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become an advisory board member, becoming a consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a consultant has an average salary of $78,912, which is higher than the $63,675 average annual salary of an advisory board member.
The top three skills for an advisory board member include community outreach, non-profit organization and strategic direction. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Advisory Board Member | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $63,675 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $30.61 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 9,710 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 52 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
An advisory board member provides business operations recommendations to the company's executives. Company executives, such as the CEO or company owner, need input from trustworthy people to continually improve their company. Companies must be adaptable to have a chance in an ever-competitive market. Advisory board members must maintain a level of adaptability that will make the company resilient and robust.
Consultants are individuals who were tapped by a company or an organization to work on a specific activity, depending on their field of expertise. They act as guides for the organization in undertaking projects that are related to their field. Consultants would usually assist organizations in planning, often giving advice when the need arises. They would, at times, take the lead in activities that involve data gathering and interpretation of data gathering results so that they can provide solid recommendations on actions that the organization may undertake. They may also guide the organization in implementing any changes brought about by their consultancy and in evaluating the effectiveness of the changes.
Advisory board members and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advisory Board Member | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $63,675 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $218,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an advisory board member and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Advisory Board Member | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between advisory board members' and consultants' demographics:
| Advisory Board Member | Consultant | |
| Average age | 52 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |