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The differences between database consultants and database specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a database consultant and a database specialist. Additionally, a database consultant has an average salary of $99,871, which is higher than the $77,642 average annual salary of a database specialist.
The top three skills for a database consultant include oracle sql, DB and data warehouse. The most important skills for a database specialist are database management, database design, and database administration.
| Database Consultant | Database Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $99,871 | $77,642 |
| Hourly rate | $48.01 | $37.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 35,251 | 41,500 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A database consultant is an information technology professional who specializes in database development and management. Part of their job is to establish and implement databases according to the company's needs, provide technical and analytical support, perform research and analyses, evaluate databases and systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and suggest solutions to optimize operations. Moreover, as a database consultant, it is essential to produce progress reports along with recommendations to improve database maintenance and resolve any potential issues or risks.
A database specialist is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the databases to maintain the confidentiality of data. Database specialists determine business requirements and manage multiple operating systems to build the database's efficient structures and feasibility. They also install security protection software tools and programs to prevent unauthorized access and potential leak of restricted information. A database specialist coordinates with the system engineers to improve existing databases and upgrade the network infrastructure for optimization.
Database consultants and database specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Database Consultant | Database Specialist | |
| Average salary | $99,871 | $77,642 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $143,000 | Between $53,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Slalom | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Finance |
There are a few differences between a database consultant and a database specialist in terms of educational background:
| Database Consultant | Database Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between database consultants' and database specialists' demographics:
| Database Consultant | Database Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% | Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 20.0% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 17.8% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |