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The differences between commercial specialists and consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a commercial specialist and a consultant. Additionally, a consultant has an average salary of $78,912, which is higher than the $55,619 average annual salary of a commercial specialist.
The top three skills for a commercial specialist include customer service, portfolio and commercial loans. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Commercial Specialist | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $55,619 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $26.74 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 48,979 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Commercial specialists are professional analysts who assist their firms by developing marketing strategies, identifying business opportunities to provide data for reporting, planning, and executing trade events. These specialists investigate and write recommendations to match businesses and resolve sensitive trade complaints. Their list of responsibilities includes organizing events or meetings, supervising contractors, preparing promotional and briefing materials, and a lot more. When the events, products, and services are assigned, they follow up with their clients about them to determine their success accurately.
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.
Commercial specialists and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Specialist | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $55,619 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $97,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bain & Company | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Technology |
There are a few differences between a commercial specialist and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Specialist | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between commercial specialists' and consultants' demographics:
| Commercial Specialist | Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 9.8% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |