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Contractor/consultant vs business advisor

The differences between contractor/consultants and business advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a business advisor has an average salary of $96,469, which is higher than the $84,811 average annual salary of a contractor/consultant.

The top three skills for a contractor/consultant include healthcare, post implementation and data analysis. The most important skills for a business advisor are customer service, project management, and business operations.

Contractor/consultant vs business advisor overview

Contractor/ConsultantBusiness Advisor
Yearly salary$84,811$96,469
Hourly rate$40.77$46.38
Growth rate11%6%
Number of jobs64,573125,154
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

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.

What does a business advisor do?

Business Advisors are consultants responsible for implementing business strategies to improve financial and operational efficiency. They are involved in preparing financial budgets, recommending a change in the operational process, identifying new business opportunities, evaluating a marketing strategy, and reviewing supplier and labor contracts. Business advisors also help to manage risk by performing risk analysis and consumer behavioral analysis. They are involved in report preparation and work to maintain open communication with different departments to implement change.

Contractor/consultant vs business advisor salary

Contractor/consultants and business advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Contractor/ConsultantBusiness Advisor
Average salary$84,811$96,469
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $123,000Between $67,000 And $138,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyCernerAmazon
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between contractor/consultant and business advisor education

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

Contractor/ConsultantBusiness Advisor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Contractor/consultant vs business advisor demographics

Here are the differences between contractor/consultants' and business advisors' demographics:

Contractor/ConsultantBusiness Advisor
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 66.2% Female, 33.8%Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between contractor/consultant and business advisor duties and responsibilities

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.
  • Show more

Business advisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage training and presentation collateral on SharePoint system, resulting in recycling of documentation for consistent messaging across enterprise.
  • Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
  • Prepare financial statements, payroll tax reports, and advise small business clients on accounting and financial management matters.
  • Provide a supplement team in an effort to create a cloud computing architecture team at a major telecommunications company.
  • Handle miscellaneous bookkeeping duties including payroll, payroll taxes, accounts receivable, accounts payable and financial statements for client companies.
  • Support the reengineering of the SME development area.
  • Show more

Contractor/consultant vs business advisor skills

Common contractor/consultant skills
  • Healthcare, 30%
  • Post Implementation, 25%
  • Data Analysis, 7%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Financial Statements, 3%
  • Medicaid, 3%
Common business advisor skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Business Operations, 8%
  • Strong Analytical, 8%
  • Healthcare, 7%
  • Human Resources, 4%

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