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Contractor/consultant vs executive consultant

The differences between contractor/consultants and executive consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an executive consultant has an average salary of $131,331, 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 an executive consultant are healthcare, business development, and financial services.

Contractor/consultant vs executive consultant overview

Contractor/ConsultantExecutive Consultant
Yearly salary$84,811$131,331
Hourly rate$40.77$63.14
Growth rate11%10%
Number of jobs64,573118,432
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4439
Years of experience-10

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 an executive consultant do?

An executive consultant gives support and guidance to the company's management team. Their duties may vary depending on each client's needs. Other companies hire consultants to solve a particular problem or assist with operations, employees, or strategic planning. They advise partner companies in business development opportunities to pursue financial goals and financial growth. They can also provide consulting services for non-profit organizations to act as an executive member.

Contractor/consultant vs executive consultant salary

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

Contractor/ConsultantExecutive Consultant
Average salary$84,811$131,331
Salary rangeBetween $58,000 And $123,000Between $90,000 And $190,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MASouth San Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWashington
Best paying companyCernerMayo Clinic
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between contractor/consultant and executive consultant education

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

Contractor/ConsultantExecutive Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityUniversity of Georgia

Contractor/consultant vs executive consultant demographics

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

Contractor/ConsultantExecutive Consultant
Average age4439
Gender ratioMale, 66.2% Female, 33.8%Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8%
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, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%10%

Differences between contractor/consultant and executive consultant 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

Executive consultant example responsibilities.

  • Recruit to manage key client engagements to define global strategic sourcing projects and solutions to utilize technology and advance ERP systems.
  • Manage e-commerce website and direct email campaigns to wholesale and retail customers, initiate SEO plan: organic and paid search.
  • Manage design and development of cloud-base billing application for streamlining payroll and invoicing, as well as offering real-time business analytics.
  • Own the PMO, reporting to the COO/CEO.
  • Lead and develop the expertise of individuals in the PMO.
  • Develop protocols for RFP initiation and execution.
  • Show more

Contractor/consultant vs executive consultant skills

Common contractor/consultant skills
  • Healthcare, 30%
  • Post Implementation, 25%
  • Data Analysis, 7%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Financial Statements, 3%
  • Medicaid, 3%
Common executive consultant skills
  • Healthcare, 17%
  • Business Development, 8%
  • Financial Services, 8%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Process Improvement, 6%
  • C-Suite, 5%

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