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The differences between functional consultants and senior consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a functional consultant, becoming a senior consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior consultant has an average salary of $100,188, which is higher than the $85,317 average annual salary of a functional consultant.
The top three skills for a functional consultant include business process, prototyping and ERP. The most important skills for a senior consultant are healthcare, project management, and java.
| Functional Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $85,317 | $100,188 |
| Hourly rate | $41.02 | $48.17 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 51,066 | 241,206 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A functional consultant is responsible for supporting a team of business analysts and software engineers in designing and creating a software system and related computer applications, following the specifications of a client on their software needs. Functional consultants analyze different technological approaches, evaluate technical solutions, and utilize the best system method to meet the requirements of a client efficiently. A functional consultant performs multiple diagnostic tests to ensure the optimal performance of the system. They should also have excellent communication skills, especially in coordinating with the clients on updates and adjustments as needed.
Senior consultants are individual contributors whose services are tapped by the organization for guidance on specific projects. They are experienced experts in a particular field that the company operates in or would like to have projects in. They are given primers on specific projects, and they comment on the feasibility of the undertaking. Once the task is deemed feasible, senior consultants act as guides throughout the project's planning and initial implementation stages. They provide their expert opinion to ensure the success of the project.
Functional consultants and senior consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Average salary | $85,317 | $100,188 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $110,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Workday | Conning |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a functional consultant and a senior consultant in terms of educational background:
| Functional Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between functional consultants' and senior consultants' demographics:
| Functional Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% | Male, 69.9% Female, 30.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 25.2% White, 51.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |