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The differences between construction consultants and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a construction consultant and a general contractor. Additionally, a construction consultant has an average salary of $68,461, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a construction consultant include construction management, general contractors and cost estimates. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Construction Consultant | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $68,461 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $32.91 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 35,537 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Construction consultants are experts in the construction industry that offer their clients advice on architecture, contracts, project management, etc. These consultants provide definitions of what projects entail, advise how to set up projects, and inspect the contractor's work. They need strong communication skills, business skills, and teamwork skills to do their jobs efficiently. Their job is to inspect every phase of a project to ensure that they follow the agreed design and to approve or deny changes before they are applied.
The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.
Construction consultants and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Construction Consultant | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $68,461 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $98,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a construction consultant and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Construction Consultant | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between construction consultants' and general contractors' demographics:
| Construction Consultant | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |