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The differences between environmental consultants and environmental planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an environmental consultant and an environmental planner. Additionally, an environmental consultant has an average salary of $74,913, which is higher than the $71,174 average annual salary of an environmental planner.
The top three skills for an environmental consultant include environmental compliance, OSHA and technical reports. The most important skills for an environmental planner are federal regulations, water quality, and wetland delineations.
| Environmental Consultant | Environmental Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $74,913 | $71,174 |
| Hourly rate | $36.02 | $34.22 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 21,723 | 30,227 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An Environmental Consultant provides assessment and advisory services for their clients on matters regarding the management of environmental issues. They are generally hired by consultancy firms, which are hired by the public sector or commercial organizations.
Environmental planners are in charge of performing research and analysis to reduce the environmental impact of a company's business procedures and operations. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to attain environmentally friendly operations, optimizing processes for sustainability, liaising with clients to gain perspective, and coordinating with different departments to ensure that all processes adhere to the company's environmental policies and regulations. Furthermore, as an environmental planner, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, all while addressing and resolving any issues or concerns with the subject.
Environmental consultants and environmental planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Environmental Consultant | Environmental Planner | |
| Average salary | $74,913 | $71,174 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $98,000 | Between $52,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | West Virginia |
| Best paying company | ConocoPhillips | Santa Clara Valley Water District |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between an environmental consultant and an environmental planner in terms of educational background:
| Environmental Consultant | Environmental Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of California, Berkeley |
Here are the differences between environmental consultants' and environmental planners' demographics:
| Environmental Consultant | Environmental Planner | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0% | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.8% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 13.1% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |