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The differences between consultants and specialists 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 a specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a consultant has an average salary of $78,912, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.
The top three skills for a consultant include customer service, strong analytical and project management. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Consultant | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $78,912 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $37.94 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 171,733 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| 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.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Consultants and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $78,912 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $107,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | L.E.K. Consulting | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a consultant and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Consultant | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between consultants' and specialists' demographics:
| Consultant | Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |