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The differences between consultants and contractor/consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contractor/consultant has an average salary of $84,811, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for a consultant include customer service, strong analytical and project management. The most important skills for a contractor/consultant are healthcare, post implementation, and data analysis.
| Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $78,912 | $84,811 |
| Hourly rate | $37.94 | $40.77 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 171,733 | 64,573 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A contractor is a self-employed businessperson who agrees to work for a fixed price. His/her job involves the evaluation of clients' needs and actual performance of work. On the other hand, a consultant is a skilled independent businessperson who provides expert teaching and training in a specific market by assisting existing staff for the improvement of operations, problem-solving, and development of strategies. His/her role is to assess clients' needs and provide expert advice and opinion. However, both individuals are not employees, since they came from outside of the organization to perform such services.
Consultants and contractor/consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Average salary | $78,912 | $84,811 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $107,000 | Between $58,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | L.E.K. Consulting | Cerner |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a consultant and a contractor/consultant in terms of educational background:
| Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between consultants' and contractor/consultants' demographics:
| Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |