What is the difference between a principal consultant and a senior consultant?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

The difference between a principal consultant and a senior consultant is in the scope of responsibility and oversight. A senior consultant manages analysts and junior consultants, while a principal consultant oversees large teams delivering an entire project.

You can think of a senior consultant as a piece of the puzzle and a principal consultant responsible for putting the puzzle together. A senior consultant earns less and would be considered a stepping stone position towards becoming a principal consultant. The principal is seen as responsible for a project's ultimate success or failure.

While the senior consultant is involved in internal discussions, having one area of expertise, the principal consultant manages the entire project life cycle. The principal is the high-level decision-maker who is also expected to continue to sell new work and build client relationships through the process.