Implementation consultant vs project manager

The differences between implementation consultants and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, 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 project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.

Implementation consultant vs project manager overview

	Implementation Consultant	Project Manager
Yearly salary	$80,195	$91,578
Hourly rate	$38.56	$44.03
Growth rate	11%	8%
Number of jobs	70,450	167,116
Job satisfaction	-	4.17
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	44	47
Years of experience	4	-

What does an implementation consultant do?

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.

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

Implementation consultant vs project manager salary

Implementation consultants and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Implementation Consultant	Project Manager
Average salary	$80,195	$91,578
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $108,000	Between $64,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	McKinsey & Company Inc	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Technology

Differences between implementation consultant and project manager education

There are a few differences between an implementation consultant and a project manager in terms of educational background:

	Implementation Consultant	Project Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Pennsylvania

Implementation consultant vs project manager demographics

Here are the differences between implementation consultants' and project managers' demographics:

	Implementation Consultant	Project Manager
Average age	44	47
Gender ratio	Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2%	Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1%
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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	10%

Differences between implementation consultant and project manager duties and responsibilities

Implementation consultant example 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.
Create and deliver virtual training programs to be deliver via webinar using WebEx technology.
Prioritize user feedback and issues after UAT.

Project manager example responsibilities.

Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.

Implementation consultant vs project manager skills

Common implementation consultant skills

Technical Support, 11%
Customer Service, 5%
Erp Implementation, 4%
Implementation Process, 4%
Client Facing, 4%
Project Management, 4%

Common project manager skills

Project Management, 23%
Project Scope, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Infrastructure, 5%
Status Reports, 4%
Risk Management, 3%

Implementation Consultant vs. similar jobs

Implementation Consultant related careers

Implementation Consultant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Implementation Consultant
Implementation Consultant vs Project Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs