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What is an implementation consultant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Robin Cormier,
Dr. Dianne Welsh
introduction image

An implementation consultant helps organizations successfully adopt and integrate new technologies or processes. They work closely with clients to understand their needs, plan the implementation process, and provide guidance. Implementation consultants also give training to end-users and ensure that new systems function properly. They have strong communication skills, technical knowledge, and project management expertise. Implementation consultants aim to help clients achieve their desired outcomes within the agreed timeframe and budget.

What general advice would you give to an implementation consultant?

Robin Cormier

Assistant Professor, Montana State University - Billings

While college graduates begin to launch their careers, they also face uncertainty about job opportunities. This can be a daunting time in their life. First and foremost, they should be proud of their achievements. There are many steps they can take to prepare for a future career, such as developing a network and building a strong resume. However, in my opinion, the most important advice I would offer new graduates is to pursue their passion. When you are passionate about your career, your life is more fulfilling, and you are more determined to achieve success. Passion shows through how you communicate, develop working relationships, and your level of career investment.
ScoreImplementation ConsultantUS Average
Salary
6.3

Avg. Salary $80,195

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 12.50%

Black or African American 8.37%

Hispanic or Latino 9.11%

Unknown 4.52%

White 65.34%

Gender

female 46.18%

male 53.82%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
2.2

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an implementation consultant?

Pros

  • High demand for implementation consultants, leading to stable job security

  • Competitive salary and benefits

  • Possibility for travel and international work experience

  • Opportunity for career growth and advancement

  • Working with a team of like-minded professionals

Cons

  • Long hours and high workload during project implementations

  • High stress environment due to tight deadlines and client expectations

  • Constantly being on-call for support and issues

  • Limited work-life balance due to project demands

  • Possibility for burnout due to the demanding nature of the job.

Implementation consultant career paths

Key steps to become an implementation consultant

  1. Explore implementation consultant education requirements

    Most common implementation consultant degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.0 %

    Master's

    14.1 %

    Associate

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific implementation consultant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Technical Support11.39%
    Customer Service5.41%
    Erp Implementation4.49%
    Implementation Process4.44%
    Client Facing4.33%
  3. Complete relevant implementation consultant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New implementation consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an implementation consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real implementation consultant resumes.
  4. Research implementation consultant duties and responsibilities

    • Facilitate teams, working directly with healthcare materials managers and executives to achieve non-salary expense reduction.
    • Utilize extensive payroll and human resource knowledge to coordinate and manage multiple complex implementation projects simultaneously.
    • Leverage industry experience, negotiation skills and communication competency to engage stakeholders to accomplish a trading system upgrade and database conversion.
    • Design and written custom reports and product reports using SQL and iReport report designer.
  5. Prepare your implementation consultant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your implementation consultant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an implementation consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable implementation consultant resume templates

    Build a professional implementation consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your implementation consultant resume.
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  6. Apply for implementation consultant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an implementation consultant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first implementation consultant job

Zippi

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Average implementation consultant salary

The average implementation consultant salary in the United States is $80,195 per year or $39 per hour. Implementation consultant salaries range between $59,000 and $108,000 per year.

Average implementation consultant salary
$80,195 Yearly
$38.56 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do implementation consultants rate their job?

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Implementation consultant reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

As it seeks to solve problems in innovative way

Cons

It needs more patience to apply the true solution and satisfy your client


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

With the company that I work for, being an implementations analyst is sort of a hybrid role between account management and a more technical role.

Cons

My company wants us to fill both roles without actually compensating us for filling both roles


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Cons

I DON'T LIKE DOING MISTAKES WHEN AM WORKING

Pros

I LIKE TO ORGANISE AND I LIKE TO ADVISE OTHERS


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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