Contracting officer vs senior contract administrator/contract administrator

The differences between contracting officers and senior contract administrators/contract administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior contract administrator/contract administrator has an average salary of $65,579, 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 senior contract administrator/contract administrator are contract administration, proposal preparation, and contract management.

Contracting officer vs senior contract administrator/contract administrator overview

	Contracting Officer	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator
Yearly salary	$60,007	$65,579
Hourly rate	$28.85	$31.53
Growth rate	-	-6%
Number of jobs	59,896	61,918
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	44	48
Years of experience	-	6

Contracting officer vs senior contract administrator/contract administrator salary

Contracting officers and senior contract administrators/contract administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Contracting Officer	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator
Average salary	$60,007	$65,579
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $95,000	Between $41,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	Virginia
Best paying company	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	Urban Institute
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between contracting officer and senior contract administrator/contract administrator education

There are a few differences between a contracting officer and a senior contract administrator/contract administrator in terms of educational background:

	Contracting Officer	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Pennsylvania

Contracting officer vs senior contract administrator/contract administrator demographics

Here are the differences between contracting officers' and senior contract administrators/contract administrators' demographics:

	Contracting Officer	Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator
Average age	44	48
Gender ratio	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%	Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4%
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, 8.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 7.7% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	11%	7%

Differences between contracting officer and senior contract administrator/contract administrator duties and responsibilities

Contracting officer example responsibilities.

Compile RFQ's, internet research, and manage officers.
Manage the RFQ and RFP solicitation process with campus departments to ensure legal and ethical compliance with state statutes.
Analyze requirements' effects on budget and formulate alternative logistics plans when operations or requirements change to accomplish unit's mission.
Perform market analysis of government agencies utilizing and not utilizing GSA travel services to capture undeveloped market.
Implement GSA assist acquisition service to provide task order support for federal agencies procuring ETS2 master contract.
Resolve day to day issues between personnel, contracting companies, base operations, government personnel and the DoD.

Senior contract administrator/contract administrator example responsibilities.

Manage end to end distribute and mainframe testing activities in a java, PowerBuilder and XML environment for various projects.
Manage contract performance, perform RFP reviews and coordinate proposal development with various program managers.
Process purchase orders and subcontracts, including managing insurance requirement compliance and certify payroll documentation.
Issue and administer delivery orders under negotiate IDIQ and also for standalone subcontract agreements.
Issue orders against CISCO IDIQ contract.
Maintain files on all GSA vehicles utilize with the AOR.

Contracting officer vs senior contract administrator/contract administrator skills

Common contracting officer skills

Contractor Proposals, 8%
Contract Administration, 7%
Contract Management, 5%
Contract Terms, 5%
Market Research, 4%
Technical Assistance, 4%

Common senior contract administrator/contract administrator skills

Contract Administration, 10%
Proposal Preparation, 7%
Contract Management, 6%
Contract Terms, 5%
Non-Disclosure Agreements, 4%
Government Regulations, 4%

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Contracting Officer
Contracting Officer vs Senior Contract Administrator/Contract Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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