How to hire an associate consultant

How to hire an associate consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate consultant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an associate consultant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate consultant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate consultant do?

Post an associate consultant job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The associate consultant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect associate consultant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of associate consultants.

   Type of Associate Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Consultant	Management analysts, often called management consultants, propose ways to improve the efficiency of an organization. They advise managers on how to make organizations more profitable through reduced costs and increased revenues.	$28-42
   Program Management Consultant	A program management consultant is responsible for analyzing project requirements based on clients' specifications, developing quality improvement techniques, and reviewing project deliverables. Program management consultants work closely with the project team to identify project initiatives and resolve complexities that may arise... Show more	$35-65
   Implementation Consultant	An implementation consultant is a professional who travels to various job sites to help clients with the installation of different software and hardware solutions. Implementation consultants must be knowledgeable of the software application so that they can conduct training sessions for internal and external customers... Show more	$28-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Healthcare
   • Customer Service
   • Project Management
   • HR
   • Azure
   • Linux
   • Ruby
   • Client Facing
   • Java
   • Strong Analytical
   • Digital Transformation
   • Virtualization
   • Litigation
   • CRM

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage design and development of cloud-base billing application for streamlining payroll and invoicing, as well as offering real-time business analytics.
   • Design both monolithic and multi-tier systems available to be integrate with ERP.
   • Design, debug, and write online and batch programs using APS COBOL to satisfy user requirements.
   • Involve in analysis and design for various modules that communicate with the ERP system for the data transfer.
   • Analyze, design, and code database queries using CICS, COBOL and ADABASE SQL with NATUAL front-ends.
   • Provide the SLA report to the management which includes environment health and monthly statistics of different requests / incidents.

   More associate consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate consultant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An associate consultant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, associate consultants' average salary in arkansas is 33% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associate consultants 32% less than senior-level associate consultants.
   • Certifications. An associate consultant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an associate consultant's salary.

   Average associate consultant salary

   $73,340yearly

   $35.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate consultant salary

   $60,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average associate consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$84,057	$40
   2	Washington	$83,311	$40
   3	New Jersey	$81,453	$39
   4	Massachusetts	$81,057	$39
   5	New York	$79,321	$38
   6	Colorado	$78,526	$38
   7	California	$77,426	$37
   8	Connecticut	$77,022	$37
   9	Illinois	$75,314	$36
   10	Oregon	$75,074	$36
   11	Virginia	$75,050	$36
   12	Minnesota	$74,467	$36
   13	North Carolina	$73,217	$35
   14	Pennsylvania	$72,018	$35
   15	Texas	$71,912	$35
   16	Wisconsin	$71,222	$34
   17	Rhode Island	$71,069	$34
   18	Michigan	$71,039	$34
   19	Georgia	$70,497	$34
   20	Ohio	$70,121	$34

   Average associate consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Practice Fusion	$103,690	$49.85
   2	Michaels Stores	$98,447	$47.33
   3	Eli Lilly and Company	$95,904	$46.11
   4	Point72	$95,773	$46.04
   5	Cerner	$95,664	$45.99
   6	Microsoft	$93,508	$44.96	2
   7	Recorded Future	$92,007	$44.23
   8	Dun & Bradstreet	$89,378	$42.97
   9	Coleman Research	$89,262	$42.91
   10	Moody's	$87,883	$42.25	4
   11	GlobalLogic	$87,777	$42.20
   12	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$86,109	$41.40	74
   13	Parexel International	$84,767	$40.75	107
   14	Florida Power and Light	$84,115	$40.44	3
   15	Cambridge Associates	$83,784	$40.28	1
   16	Highmark	$83,716	$40.25	446
   17	EMC	$83,095	$39.95
   18	Dalberg	$82,982	$39.90	10
   19	McKinsey & Company Inc	$82,950	$39.88	4
   20	PulsePoint	$82,886	$39.85

4. Writing an associate consultant job description

   An associate consultant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an associate consultant job description:

   Associate consultant job description example

   Every day, Global Payments makes it possible for millions of people to move money between buyers and sellers using our payments solutions for credit, debit, prepaid and merchant services. Our worldwide team helps over 3 million companies, more than 1,300 financial institutions and over 600 million cardholders grow with confidence and achieve amazing results. We are driven by our passion for success and we are proud to deliver best-in-class payment technology and software solutions. Join our dynamic team and make your mark on the payments technology landscape of tomorrow.
   Hybrid position (Atlanta, Alpharetta and Columbus, GA office locations)
   
   Candidates will better position TSYS to capture revenue through consulting and professional services servicing as an extension of our clients' organization. A successful candidate will think and operate like an issuing client that builds and delivers strategic initiatives that optimize both portfolio and product engagement across the payment card lifecycle. This will drive incremental TSYS revenue and ultimately high partner value to our clients.
   
   Job Specific Required Skills & Competencies
   What Part Will You Play?
   Works with the Customer Success team to gain an understanding of client vision, portfolio performance, goals, and challenges.Uses strategic thinking skills to contribute to development of client objectives to achieve goals in creative and effective ways.Provides data-centric consultation to align client objectives into innovative solutions with TSYS products & services that provide value to the client and their cardholders.Works with the Business Intelligence team to develop business cases, use cases, case studies to facilitate client conversations using data-driven methodologies.Conducts product demos and presentations and assists product with go-to-market packaging.Passionate about applying data and analytics to card issuer portfolio data.Develops relationships with client counterparts through consulting engagements.
   
   Skills / Knowledge
   Knowledgeable of TSYS products & services within the assigned domain and awareness of products and services available outside of the assigned domain. Ability to clearly communicate insights and recommendations to teams and business stakeholders.General knowledge of web technology, data structures, and data visualization.Data analysis and visualization skills to bring business cases and opportunities to life for a client.Ability to multitask, juggling multiple clients/projects and initiatives, strong prioritization and follow up skills. Prioritizes most urgent work. Applies proven solutions to client problems.
   
   Qualifications
   Experience: 4+ years relevant experience and/or working knowledge of the issuing and payment card business from both a card issuer perspective as well as a general understanding from the technology and processing side of the business Consulting or professional services experience Education: Bachelor's Degree - Information Technology, Computer Science, MIS, Business or equivalent work experience, such as relevant technical background and/or work product/SME knowledge in lieu of a degree.
   Global Payments Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.
   Global Payments provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by law. Those applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application and/or interview process should notify a representative of the Human Resources Department.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find associate consultants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your associate consultant job on Zippia to find and recruit associate consultant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit associate consultants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new associate consultant

   Once you've selected the best associate consultant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new associate consultant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an associate consultant?