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Consultant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring consultants in the United States:
Here's a step-by-step consultant hiring guide:
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.
The consultant hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.
A consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, consultants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.
This list shows salaries for various types of consultants.
Type Of Consultant | Description | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|
Consultant | Management analysts, often called management consultants, propose ways to improve the efficiency of an organization. They advise managers on how to make organizations more profitable through reduced costs and increased revenues. | $27-51 |
Program Management Consultant | A program management consultant is responsible for analyzing project requirements based on clients' specifications, developing quality improvement techniques, and reviewing project deliverables. Program management consultants work closely with the project team to identify project initiatives and resolve complexities that may arise... Show More | $35-65 |
Implementation Consultant | An implementation consultant is a professional 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... Show More | $28-51 |
Including a salary range in the consultant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A consultant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.
For example, the average salary for a consultant in Kansas may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level consultant. Additionally, a consultant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.
Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|---|
1 | District of Columbia | $95,478 | $46 |
2 | New Jersey | $93,181 | $45 |
3 | Massachusetts | $91,356 | $44 |
4 | California | $88,622 | $43 |
5 | New York | $87,547 | $42 |
6 | Washington | $87,490 | $42 |
7 | Connecticut | $85,643 | $41 |
8 | Virginia | $84,336 | $41 |
9 | Colorado | $82,248 | $40 |
10 | North Carolina | $81,762 | $39 |
11 | Illinois | $80,773 | $39 |
12 | Oregon | $79,777 | $38 |
13 | Texas | $79,644 | $38 |
14 | Minnesota | $78,025 | $38 |
15 | Michigan | $76,836 | $37 |
16 | Ohio | $76,100 | $37 |
17 | Wisconsin | $75,998 | $37 |
18 | Pennsylvania | $75,532 | $36 |
19 | Missouri | $74,791 | $36 |
20 | Georgia | $74,741 | $36 |
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | L.E.K. Consulting | $128,777 | $61.91 | |
2 | Nera Economic Consulting | $128,496 | $61.78 | |
3 | DLA Piper | $125,482 | $60.33 | 8 |
4 | Apple | $125,116 | $60.15 | 18 |
5 | The Brattle Group | $125,021 | $60.11 | |
6 | $120,875 | $58.11 | 82 | |
7 | AppDynamics | $117,486 | $56.48 | |
8 | ConocoPhillips | $117,391 | $56.44 | |
9 | Bunge | $116,675 | $56.09 | |
10 | Slalom | $113,625 | $54.63 | 182 |
11 | Microsoft | $112,863 | $54.26 | 7 |
12 | Bed Bath & Beyond | $111,694 | $53.70 | |
13 | Avid | $110,617 | $53.18 | 2 |
14 | Open Systems Technologies | $110,146 | $52.95 | 1 |
15 | eBay | $109,854 | $52.81 | |
16 | SADA | $109,766 | $52.77 | |
17 | Intuitive Surgical | $109,708 | $52.74 | 3 |
18 | Adobe | $109,450 | $52.62 | 6 |
19 | Cisco | $109,199 | $52.50 | 1 |
20 | TD Ameritrade | $108,252 | $52.04 |
A consultant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a consultant job description:
To find the right consultant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
Recruiting consultants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Once you have selected a candidate for the consultant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new consultant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.
There are different types of costs for hiring consultants. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new consultant employee.
You can expect to pay around $78,912 per year for a consultant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for consultants in the US typically range between $27 and $51 an hour.