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The differences between contracting officers and business developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a business developer has an average salary of $101,635, which is higher than the $60,007 average annual salary of a contracting officer.
The top three skills for a contracting officer include contractor proposals, contract administration and contract management. The most important skills for a business developer are healthcare, CRM, and customer service.
| Contracting Officer | Business Developer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,007 | $101,635 |
| Hourly rate | $28.85 | $48.86 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 59,896 | 193,469 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
In government agencies, a Contracting Officer plays a vital role in securing contracts for different projects. They are responsible for liaising with internal and external parties, conducting research and analyses, developing plans to attain project requirements, negotiating contracts, and procuring materials according to standards. They are also responsible for supervising the administrative processes related to the deals, from planning to execution, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, it is essential to function as a contracting officer while adhering to government policies and regulations.
A business developer specializes in conducting in-depth business analysis and crafting various strategies that would not just help a business grow, but also strengthen client base and brand awareness. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around identifying areas in need of improvement. They come up with new services that will boost customer satisfaction, examining the potential for revenue and figuring out new opportunities from trends or other pre-existing programs within the company. All of this is conducted according to the vision, mission, and policies of the organization.
Contracting officers and business developers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracting Officer | Business Developer | |
| Average salary | $60,007 | $101,635 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $95,000 | Between $66,000 And $156,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a contracting officer and a business developer in terms of educational background:
| Contracting Officer | Business Developer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between contracting officers' and business developers' demographics:
| Contracting Officer | Business Developer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% |
| 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% |