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The differences between developer/consultants and lead consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a developer/consultant, becoming a lead consultant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead consultant has an average salary of $103,221, which is higher than the $98,508 average annual salary of a developer/consultant.
The top three skills for a developer/consultant include java, project management and javascript. The most important skills for a lead consultant are customer service, digital transformation, and business process.
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $98,508 | $103,221 |
| Hourly rate | $47.36 | $49.63 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 257,985 | 78,252 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A developer/consultant is responsible for developing system databases and applications, depending on the business' needs and clients' specifications. Developers/consultants design their services to manage optimal performance and maximize productivity for timely submission of projects, ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty. They also handle clients' inquiries and concerns, informing them about necessary adjustments to improve strategic procedures and processes. A developer/consultant must have excellent communication and analytical skills, as well as extensive experience with the technology industry.
The lead consultants oversee the work of a consultant team and are responsible for offering clients their advice and recommendations on the given project. They are multi-focus experts that assist the company in improving its business performance by acting as liaisons between clients and the consultancy team. Their main job is to ensure the daily management of client's projects. They help the client identify and understand their needs together with finding solutions to their difficulties. Additionally, they analyze and review proposals from the team and then provide relevant solutions to the problems.
Developer/consultants and lead consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Average salary | $98,508 | $103,221 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $135,000 | Between $80,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a developer/consultant and a lead consultant in terms of educational background:
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between developer/consultants' and lead consultants' demographics:
| Developer/Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.5% Female, 41.5% | Male, 67.9% Female, 32.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 19.5% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |