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The differences between implementation 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 an implementation 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 $80,195 average annual salary of an implementation consultant.
The top three skills for an implementation consultant include technical support, customer service and erp implementation. The most important skills for a lead consultant are customer service, digital transformation, and business process.
| Implementation Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $80,195 | $103,221 |
| Hourly rate | $38.56 | $49.63 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 70,450 | 78,252 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
An implementation consultant is an individual who travels to various job sites to help clients with the installation of different software and hardware solutions. Implementation consultants must be knowledgeable of the software application so that they can conduct training sessions for internal and external customers. They develop system teaching aids such as training handbooks, demonstration models, and multimedia visual aids. Implementation consultants must also obtain technical certification, particularly on the specific software and hardware they install.
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.
Implementation consultants and lead consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Implementation Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Average salary | $80,195 | $103,221 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $108,000 | Between $80,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between an implementation consultant and a lead consultant in terms of educational background:
| Implementation Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between implementation consultants' and lead consultants' demographics:
| Implementation Consultant | Lead Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2% | Male, 67.9% Female, 32.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 12.5% White, 65.3% 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 | 12% | 8% |