What Does a Data Consultant Do?

A data consultant is primarily responsible for devising strategies on finding data and utilizing them according to the needs of a company. Most of the time, they are in charge of gathering data through various means and opportunities, maintaining and designing a database, coordinating with multiple data specialists, inspecting data for any inconsistencies, and performing corrective measures. Furthermore, a data consultant may develop systems and networks for data storage, all while adhering to the policies and standards of the company.

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Data Consultant Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real data consultant resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Used SSRS to create and manage a number of complex reports according to user specifications.
Analyze, document and manage all project requirements and changes to the requirements throughout the SDLC.
Design and manage postgres database schemas; configure postgres servers in Linux environments to meet business requirements.
Manage weapon system project websites via SharePoint, including troubleshooting technical issues and developing guidelines for public/private information and user permissions.
Implement data extraction, transformation and load processes in a parallel framework.
Compile a written report highlighting exploratory data analysis, visualization, and predictions.
Design and development of informatica mappings using aggregator, lookup, expression and other transformations.
Schedule and distribute reports using schedule management on the Cognos portal.
Conduct database schema design sessions with the project architecture and development resources.
Create OLAP models for reporting and developing some reports for testing purpose.
Conduct in-depth analysis of the current trends and products within the data visualization / B.I.
Handle data conversion, cleansing, extraction, transformation, load along with file prep.
Lead the process of automating the data modeling process using templates and SSIS data flow tasks.
Install, configure, create aggregations, OLAP cube and test the performance against AS/400 data.
Create monthly updates of SAS formats for membership validation look-up from raw data files and other look-up conversions.

Data Consultant Job Description

Perhaps the hardest question to answer when deciding on a career as a data consultant is "should I become a data consultant?" You might find this info to be helpful. When compared to other jobs, data consultant careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "much faster than average" at 14% from 2018 through 2028. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's more, is that the projected number of opportunities that are predicted to become available for a data consultant by 2028 is 118,300.

On average, the data consultant annual salary is $94,945 per year, which translates to $45.65 an hour. Generally speaking, data consultants earn anywhere from $70,000 to $127,000 a year, which means that the top-earning data consultants make $52,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

Once you've become a data consultant, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a business advisor, data scientist, senior business consultant, and business analyst-consultant.

Learn More About Data Consultant Job Descriptions

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5 Data Consultant Resume Examples

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Kathleen Fisher Data Consultant Contact Information Chicago, IL (210) 555-6049 kfisher@example.com Skills Appropriate Relationship R Data Management BO Javascript Teradata MM Perl Procedures Master Data Employment History Data Consultant 2014 - Present AT&T Chicago, IL Involved in data warehouse testing by checking ETL procedures/mappings. Focused on Oracle, UNIX, and C development primarily in a telecommunications environment. Design, Publish, Implement Teradata, Vertica and Hadoop data models using CA Erwin Data Modeler. Data Warehouse Developer 2010 - 2014 CNA Financial Oakbrook Terrace, IL Created Transformations like Sequence generator, Lookup, joiner and Source qualifier transformations in Informatica Designer. Worked with various Informatica Power Center objects like Mappings, transformations, Mapplet, Workflows and Session Tasks. Create architecture standards for Informatica usage. Used TOAD, PL/SQL developer tools for faster application design and developments Created database links to retrieve data from multiple servers. BI Consultant 2000 - 2004 Wells Fargo Des Moines, IA Publish, distribute and schedule Web Intelligence reports using Info view Used Import Wizard for the Migration process. Involved in the unit testing of the reports .Modified and enhanced the reports after the UAT according to the user requirements. Automated the process for building and monitoring OLAP cubes creation. Modified the SSAS Cubes using SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) Cube Designer. Education Master's Degree Computer Engineering 2004 - 2005 DeVry University Oakbrook Terrace, IL Bachelor's Degree Electrical Engineering 1992 - 1995 Purdue University West Lafayette, IN


Bryan Peterson Data Consultant Contact Info New York, NY (890) 555-9087 bpeterson@example.com Skills Pl/SqlXIComplex ReportsTo-BeSsisDashboardsNeural NetworksCustomer ServiceIMHealthcare Employment History Data Consultant 2019 - Present Citi New York, NY Designed data warehouse with star and snowflake schemas using Bill Inman Methodology. Started Metadata Management initiative, leveraging AbInitio Metadata Hub tool. Developed and documented all load processes for both initial load and incremental load into the Enterprise Data warehouse (EDW). Work with clients and end users to design, build and troubleshoot complex data warehouse solutions. BI Consultant 2015 - 2019 Citi New York, NY Created run books for the SSIS development for the ease of Production Support team. Designed and implemented custom business intelligence solutions along with the pre-built solutions (Metadata and Dashboards/Reports). Designed the technical specifications using the FRDs for designing the universes and reports. Designed Analysis Service Cube in Data warehouse using Visual studio in Star schema. SAP BW Consultant 2014 - 2015 IBM New York, NY Designed, developed, maintained and tested the single/multiple source Universes. Developed, customized of SAP script layout sets and print programs for FI/CO. Developed a Custom BDC program for full Customer Master Data Upload. Used BAPI to cancel material documents and PO Changes. Education Bachelor's Degree Electrical Engineering 2011 - 2014 Northeastern University Boston, MA


Bryan Peterson Data Consultant New York, NY (890) 555-9087 bpeterson@example.com Experience Data Consultant2019 - Present Citi•New York, NY Designed data warehouse with star and snowflake schemas using Bill Inman Methodology. Started Metadata Management initiative, leveraging AbInitio Metadata Hub tool. Developed and documented all load processes for both initial load and incremental load into the Enterprise Data warehouse (EDW). Work with clients and end users to design, build and troubleshoot complex data warehouse solutions. BI Consultant2015 - 2019 Citi•New York, NY Created run books for the SSIS development for the ease of Production Support team. Designed and implemented custom business intelligence solutions along with the pre-built solutions (Metadata and Dashboards/Reports). Designed the technical specifications using the FRDs for designing the universes and reports. Designed Analysis Service Cube in Data warehouse using Visual studio in Star schema. SAP BW Consultant2014 - 2015 IBM•New York, NY Designed, developed, maintained and tested the single/multiple source Universes. Developed, customized of SAP script layout sets and print programs for FI/CO. Developed a Custom BDC program for full Customer Master Data Upload. Used BAPI to cancel material documents and PO Changes. Skills Pl/SqlXIComplex ReportsTo-BeSsisDashboardsNeural NetworksCustomer ServiceIMHealthcare Education Bachelor's Degree Electrical Engineering2011 - 2014 Northeastern University•Boston, MA

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Data Consultant Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 13% of Data Consultants are proficient in Analytics, Data Quality, and Data Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Time-management skills, Interpersonal skills, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Data Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Analytics, 13%
Create visualizations, reporting and dashboards to support continuous monitoring of Key Performance Metrics for business analytics and decisions.
Data Quality, 7%
Performed data quality analysis in order to provide corporate customers with timely, accurate information regarding their health care expenditure costs.
Data Management, 6%
Recommended best practices for data management and data structure, including the integration of statistical programming software.
Data Governance, 5%
Gathered and distilled artifacts for requirements on major Business Bank Administration implementation as relating to data governance design.
Informatica, 4%
Advised Project Management of Best Practice approaches for upgrade and maintenance of Informatica PowerCenter components.
Master Data, 4%
Delivered organizational data flow diagrams for the high level project solution addressing each master data domain and source/target system.

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"analytics," "data quality," and "data management" aren't the only skills we found data consultants list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of data consultant responsibilities that we found, including:

Time-management skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a data consultant to have. According to a data consultant resume, "management analysts often work under tight deadlines and must use their time efficiently to complete projects on time." Data consultants are able to use time-management skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "scheduled sessions and batch process based on demand, run on time, run only once using informatica server manager. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many data consultant duties rely on interpersonal skills. This example from a data consultant explains why: "management analysts must work with managers and other employees of the organizations where they provide consulting services." This resume example is just one of many ways data consultants are able to utilize interpersonal skills: "leveraged deep knowledge of hr policies and employment law, as well as, strong interpersonal and communication skills. "

Yet another important skill that a data consultant must demonstrate is "problem-solving skills." Management analysts must be able to think creatively to solve clients’ problems This is clearly demonstrated in this example from a data consultant who stated: "implemented dse solr solution for to push incremental orders data in to centralized hadoop cluster. "

While "analytical skills" is listed last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to data consultant responsibilities. The skill is described by this resume snippet, "management analysts must be able to interpret a wide range of information and use their findings to make proposals." Here is an example of how this skill is used, "compiled a written report highlighting exploratory data analysis, visualization, and predictions. "

See the full list of data consultant skills.

We've found that 60.7% of data consultants have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 20.1% earned their master's degrees before becoming a data consultant. While it's true that most data consultants have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every eight data consultants did not spend the extra money to attend college.

The data consultants who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and computer science, while a small population of data consultants studied electrical engineering and nursing.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a data consultant. We've found that most data consultant resumes include experience from Deloitte, Accenture, and Guidehouse. Of recent, Deloitte had 244 positions open for data consultants. Meanwhile, there are 139 job openings at Accenture and 79 at Guidehouse.

If you're interested in companies where data consultants make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Google, MUFG EMEA, and Adobe. We found that at Google, the average data consultant salary is $136,118. Whereas at MUFG EMEA, data consultants earn roughly $127,789. And at Adobe, they make an average salary of $127,595.

View more details on data consultant salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a data consultant include Accenture, Deloitte, and IBM. These three companies were found to hire the most data consultants from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

For the most part, data consultants make their living in the professional and technology industries. Data consultants tend to make the most in the health care industry with an average salary of $106,674. The data consultant annual salary in the finance and technology industries generally make $103,134 and $103,051 respectively. Additionally, data consultants who work in the health care industry make 33.0% more than data consultants in the insurance Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious data consultants are:

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What Business Advisors 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.

We looked at the average data consultant annual salary and compared it with the average of a business advisor. Generally speaking, business advisors receive $1,524 higher pay than data consultants per year.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both data consultants and business advisors positions are skilled in client facing, erp, and strong analytical.

There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a data consultant responsibilities require skills like "analytics," "data quality," "data management," and "data governance." Meanwhile a typical business advisor has skills in areas such as "customer service," "project management," "business operations," and "healthcare." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

Business advisors receive the highest salaries in the technology industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $92,206. But data consultants are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $106,674.

Business advisors tend to reach similar levels of education than data consultants. In fact, business advisors are 3.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Data Scientist?

A Data Scientist analyzes information from multiple sources in order to gain maximum insight that can give the company a competitive advantage. They work in different domains, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and finance.

Now we're going to look at the data scientist profession. On average, data scientists earn a $11,159 higher salary than data consultants a year.

A similarity between the two careers of data consultants and data scientists are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "data quality," "informatica," and "visualization. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that data consultant responsibilities requires skills like "analytics," "data management," "data governance," and "master data." But a data scientist might use skills, such as, "data science," "data analytics," "data visualization," and "tensorflow."

On average, data scientists earn a higher salary than data consultants. There are industries that support higher salaries in each profession respectively. Interestingly enough, data scientists earn the most pay in the start-up industry with an average salary of $123,913. Whereas, data consultants have higher paychecks in the health care industry where they earn an average of $106,674.

On the topic of education, data scientists earn higher levels of education than data consultants. In general, they're 14.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Senior Business Consultant Compares

A senior business consultant specializes in performing research and analysis to optimize business processes. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather necessary data, devising strategies to reduce cost, assess risks, and identify the strength and weaknesses of operations to recommend solutions. They may also train and mentor junior consultants, produce progress reports and presentations, and assist clients through calls and correspondence. Furthermore, as a consultant, it is essential to adhere to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Let's now take a look at the senior business consultant profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than data consultants with a $10,239 difference per year.

Using data consultants and senior business consultants resumes, we found that both professions have similar skills such as "analytics," "visualization," and "etl," but the other skills required are very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers are a few of the skills necessary to fulfill responsibilities. Some examples from data consultant resumes include skills like "data quality," "data management," "data governance," and "informatica," whereas a senior business consultant might be skilled in "healthcare," "project management," "sr," and "business analysis. "

Interestingly enough, senior business consultants earn the most pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $111,128. As mentioned previously, data consultants highest annual salary comes from the health care industry with an average salary of $106,674.

Senior business consultants are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to data consultants. Additionally, they're 1.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Business Analyst-Consultant

A business analyst-consultant is responsible for overseeing the project management and ensuring that the operations meet the agreed-upon project deliverables. Business analyst-consultants closely coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, monitoring the resources and processes for the project completion, and aligning those to the clients' budget goals. A business analyst-consultant helps the development team on strategizing techniques for brand promotions with minimal costs with maximum quality and productivity. They should have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on identifying business opportunities to drive revenues and increase profitability.

Now, we'll look at business analyst-consultants, who generally average a lower pay when compared to data consultants annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $4,818 per year.

While their salaries may vary, data consultants and business analyst-consultants both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "etl," "data analysis," and "client facing. "

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "analytics," "data quality," "data management," and "data governance" are skills that have shown up on data consultants resumes. Additionally, business analyst-consultant uses skills like project management, process improvement, hr, and user acceptance on their resumes.

Business analyst-consultants earn a higher salary in the finance industry with an average of $105,940. Whereas, data consultants earn the highest salary in the health care industry.

Business analyst-consultants reach similar levels of education when compared to data consultants. The difference is that they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree more, and 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020