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The differences between architectural consultants and staff architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an architectural consultant and a staff architect. Additionally, a staff architect has an average salary of $74,065, which is higher than the $72,886 average annual salary of an architectural consultant.
The top three skills for an architectural consultant include cloud, API and java. The most important skills for a staff architect are java, revit, and conceptual development.
| Architectural Consultant | Staff Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $72,886 | $74,065 |
| Hourly rate | $35.04 | $35.61 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 43,113 | 144,134 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An architectural consultant is an individual who owns or works for an independent architecture or multidisciplinary design firm to develop innovative building design solutions. The essential skills that an architectural consultant should possess to accomplish his/her or her responsibilities include good creative ability and strong organizational, technical, and visualization skills. The education requirements for the job include possessing a college degree in architecture, business, or a related field.
A Staff Architect is responsible for developing conceptual designs, preparing construction documents, and providing assistance and consultation to clients on architectural problems. They also help senior architects with various tasks.
Architectural consultants and staff architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Architectural Consultant | Staff Architect | |
| Average salary | $72,886 | $74,065 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $129,000 | Between $47,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Franklin Town, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Slalom | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an architectural consultant and a staff architect in terms of educational background:
| Architectural Consultant | Staff Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Architecture |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between architectural consultants' and staff architects' demographics:
| Architectural Consultant | Staff Architect | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% | Male, 77.1% Female, 22.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 16.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 16.1% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 15% |