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The differences between consultants and implementation 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 consultant and an implementation consultant. Additionally, an implementation consultant has an average salary of $80,195, 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 an implementation consultant are technical support, customer service, and erp implementation.
| Consultant | Implementation Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $78,912 | $80,195 |
| Hourly rate | $37.94 | $38.56 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 171,733 | 70,450 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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.
An implementation consultant is an individual 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. They develop system teaching aids such as training handbooks, demonstration models, and multimedia visual aids. Implementation consultants must also obtain technical certification, particularly on the specific software and hardware they install.
Consultants and implementation consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant | Implementation Consultant | |
| Average salary | $78,912 | $80,195 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $107,000 | Between $59,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | L.E.K. Consulting | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a consultant and an implementation consultant in terms of educational background:
| Consultant | Implementation Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between consultants' and implementation consultants' demographics:
| Consultant | Implementation Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 12.5% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |