Contract negotiator vs contractor/consultant

The differences between contract negotiators and contractor/consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contractor/consultant has an average salary of $84,811, which is higher than the $59,212 average annual salary of a contract negotiator.

The top three skills for a contract negotiator include contract administration, contract performance and contract terms. The most important skills for a contractor/consultant are healthcare, post implementation, and data analysis.

Contract negotiator vs contractor/consultant overview

	Contract Negotiator	Contractor/Consultant
Yearly salary	$59,212	$84,811
Hourly rate	$28.47	$40.77
Growth rate	9%	11%
Number of jobs	10,831	64,573
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

What does a contract negotiator do?

A contract negotiator is responsible for evaluating contract agreements and documents, negotiating terms with clients and customers, and resolving contract disputes. Contract negotiators manage parties' business deals and ensure that the conditions adhere to the company guidelines and state regulations. They also explain and discuss the contract to the representatives thoroughly and address any concerns and inquiries the parties may have. A contract negotiator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in finalizing terms and revising statements as needed.

What does a contractor/consultant do?

A contractor is a self-employed businessperson who agrees to work for a fixed price. His/her job involves the evaluation of clients' needs and actual performance of work. On the other hand, a consultant is a skilled independent businessperson who provides expert teaching and training in a specific market by assisting existing staff for the improvement of operations, problem-solving, and development of strategies. His/her role is to assess clients' needs and provide expert advice and opinion. However, both individuals are not employees, since they came from outside of the organization to perform such services.

Contract negotiator vs contractor/consultant salary

Contract negotiators and contractor/consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Contract Negotiator	Contractor/Consultant
Average salary	$59,212	$84,811
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $87,000	Between $58,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	New Jersey
Best paying company	Cisco	Cerner
Best paying industry	Insurance	Technology

Differences between contract negotiator and contractor/consultant education

There are a few differences between a contract negotiator and a contractor/consultant in terms of educational background:

	Contract Negotiator	Contractor/Consultant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	Western Carolina University

Contract negotiator vs contractor/consultant demographics

Here are the differences between contract negotiators' and contractor/consultants' demographics:

	Contract Negotiator	Contractor/Consultant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%
Race ratio	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%	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	11%	11%

Differences between contract negotiator and contractor/consultant duties and responsibilities

Contract negotiator example responsibilities.

Manage expectations of DCMA / DCAA regulators and when necessary defend evaluated/negotiated positions.
Provide cost/benefit analysis, RFP response analysis, contract negotiation, and project management support.
Prepare proposals per domestic and international customer RFP specifications with input from program managers, accountants, and engineers.
Implement SharePoint contract repository with custom records retention policy.
Track the full acquisition documentation process utilizing a DHA agency-wide SharePoint portal.
Represent company in arbitration settlement negotiations that result in an agreement to obtain governmental approval for the sale of the business.

Contractor/consultant example responsibilities.

Manage design and development of cloud-base billing application for streamlining payroll and invoicing, as well as offering real-time business analytics.
Assist PMO in defining project scope, task and budget, collaborating closely with developers.
Bill and provide appropriate documentation to submit reimbursement for services to appropriate insurance to include Medicaid, Medicare, etc.
Motivate and ensure SME team member engagement in projects.
Provide Linux server setup, documentation, and internal support.
Develop and implement SQL store procedures and DTS packages to process client billing data.

Contract negotiator vs contractor/consultant skills

Common contract negotiator skills

Contract Administration, 9%
Contract Performance, 6%
Contract Terms, 6%
Proposal Preparation, 6%
Program Management, 5%
Contract Compliance, 5%

Common contractor/consultant skills

Healthcare, 30%
Post Implementation, 25%
Data Analysis, 7%
Project Management, 5%
Financial Statements, 3%
Medicaid, 3%

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Contract Negotiator
Contract Negotiator vs Contractor/Consultant

Updated January 8, 2025

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