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The differences between consultants and principal consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal consultant has an average salary of $116,478, 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 principal consultant are cloud, business development, and C #.
| Consultant | Principal Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $78,912 | $116,478 |
| Hourly rate | $37.94 | $56.00 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 171,733 | 143,753 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 principal consultant is responsible for evaluating business' needs and opportunities, identifying potential leads to create project proposals, and maintaining strong business relationships that would generate revenues and increase the organization's profitability. Principal consultants must be up-to-date with the current market trends to ensure that the business adapts to the industry's changes. They also initiate new product development to expand its brand image, working closely with the marketing team for marketing strategies and promotions.
Consultants and principal consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant | Principal Consultant | |
| Average salary | $78,912 | $116,478 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $107,000 | Between $90,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Oregon |
| Best paying company | L.E.K. Consulting | Pure Storage |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a consultant and a principal consultant in terms of educational background:
| Consultant | Principal Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between consultants' and principal consultants' demographics:
| Consultant | Principal Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% |
| 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, 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% |