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The differences between consulting practice managers and solutions managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a consulting practice manager and a solutions manager. Additionally, a consulting practice manager has an average salary of $146,729, which is higher than the $122,023 average annual salary of a solutions manager.
The top three skills for a consulting practice manager include project management, business plan and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a solutions manager are healthcare, cloud, and project management.
| Consulting Practice Manager | Solutions Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $146,729 | $122,023 |
| Hourly rate | $70.54 | $58.66 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 42,595 | 142,636 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A consulting practice manager deals with the logistics of fulfilling client agreements promptly, should be consistent in meeting client expectations, and efficient in utilizing internal and external resources. This is the reason why they need technical, analytical, and leadership skills on top of having a bachelor's degree and past practice management experiences. Other responsibilities include managing targets on the utilization of a consultants' time, create monthly utilization reports, and produce management information reports. Also, they maintain an accurate overview of the progress of client projects.
A solutions manager oversees the planning and execution of a business project or program. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to discuss their needs and preferences, coordinating with various departments to gather and analyze data, identifying weak areas, and recommending solutions through new processes and policies for optimal service and performance. They may also delegate tasks, assess the workforce, and produce progress reports and presentations. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Consulting practice managers and solutions managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consulting Practice Manager | Solutions Manager | |
| Average salary | $146,729 | $122,023 |
| Salary range | Between $106,000 And $202,000 | Between $92,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | Concord, NH | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Avnet | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a consulting practice manager and a solutions manager in terms of educational background:
| Consulting Practice Manager | Solutions Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between consulting practice managers' and solutions managers' demographics:
| Consulting Practice Manager | Solutions Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 13.7% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |