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The differences between consultants and office employees can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a consultant, becoming an office employee takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a consultant has an average salary of $78,912, which is higher than the $35,825 average annual salary of an office employee.
The top three skills for a consultant include customer service, strong analytical and project management. The most important skills for an office employee are customer service, telephone calls, and customer accounts.
| Consultant | Office Employee | |
| Yearly salary | $78,912 | $35,825 |
| Hourly rate | $37.94 | $17.22 |
| Growth rate | 11% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 171,733 | 74,182 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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 office employee is someone who performs clerical and any other tasks usually performed by managers. Office employees are employed as clerical workers in offices or organizations. They execute tasks such as typing and word processing, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, and stenography. It is their responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of an office. Their diligence, communication skills, customer service, hard work, and attention to detail are necessary for this job.
Consultants and office employees have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant | Office Employee | |
| Average salary | $78,912 | $35,825 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $107,000 | Between $19,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | East Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | L.E.K. Consulting | OSF HealthCare |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a consultant and an office employee in terms of educational background:
| Consultant | Office Employee | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between consultants' and office employees' demographics:
| Consultant | Office Employee | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% |
| 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, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 6% |