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The differences between business executives and business consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a business executive, becoming a business consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a business consultant has an average salary of $87,214, which is higher than the $63,101 average annual salary of a business executive.
The top three skills for a business executive include customer service, customer satisfaction and revenue growth. The most important skills for a business consultant are data analysis, project management, and strong analytical.
| Business Executive | Business Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $63,101 | $87,214 |
| Hourly rate | $30.34 | $41.93 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 138,097 | 128,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
The duties of a business executive depend upon their position and industry of employment. In general, they are in charge of spearheading and overseeing business operations to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. They typically have the power to make corporate decisions, set goals and budgets, establish guidelines and timelines, negotiate with potential business partners, and develop business strategies to optimize overall operations. Moreover, a business executive implements and promotes company policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
A business consultant is an individual who works directly with business owners on developing a business plan and identifying their marketing needs. Business consultants offer business owners a wide range of services, such as supplementing existing staff, provide expertise in a specific market, and influencing other people. To increase revenue in business, business consultants should have experience success with the previous business owners. Business consultants must also have a bachelor's degree in business management and received years of field training.
Business executives and business consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Executive | Business Consultant | |
| Average salary | $63,101 | $87,214 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $135,000 | Between $64,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | ZS |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a business executive and a business consultant in terms of educational background:
| Business Executive | Business Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between business executives' and business consultants' demographics:
| Business Executive | Business Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.9% Female, 40.1% | Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 13.4% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |