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The differences between contracting officers and principal consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a principal consultant has an average salary of $116,478, 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 principal consultant are cloud, business development, and C #.
| Contracting Officer | Principal Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $60,007 | $116,478 |
| Hourly rate | $28.85 | $56.00 |
| Growth rate | - | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 59,896 | 143,753 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 principal consultant is responsible for evaluating business' needs and opportunities, identifying potential leads to create project proposals, and maintaining strong business relationships that would generate revenues and increase the organization's profitability. Principal consultants must be up-to-date with the current market trends to ensure that the business adapts to the industry's changes. They also initiate new product development to expand its brand image, working closely with the marketing team for marketing strategies and promotions.
Contracting officers and principal consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contracting Officer | Principal Consultant | |
| Average salary | $60,007 | $116,478 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $95,000 | Between $90,000 And $150,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Pure Storage |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a contracting officer and a principal consultant in terms of educational background:
| Contracting Officer | Principal Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between contracting officers' and principal consultants' demographics:
| Contracting Officer | Principal Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2% |
| 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% |