Post job

Information technology associate vs information technology consultant

The differences between information technology associates and information technology consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an information technology associate, becoming an information technology consultant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an information technology consultant has an average salary of $84,790, which is higher than the $75,790 average annual salary of an information technology associate.

The top three skills for an information technology associate include SOC, data analysis and sarbanes-oxley. The most important skills for an information technology consultant are customer service, database, and project management.

Information technology associate vs information technology consultant overview

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Consultant
Yearly salary$75,790$84,790
Hourly rate$36.44$40.76
Growth rate10%9%
Number of jobs116,996142,475
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4243
Years of experience26

What does an information technology associate do?

An information technology (IT) associate is an individual who assists in the management of an IT infrastructure of an organization. IT associates are required to provide support and maintenance of network and wireless infrastructure as well as manage the technical side of an organization's web content platform. They must assist in the management of the inventory of equipment that can include computer desktops, projectors, copiers, and printers. IT associates should also communicate with staff members so that they can respond to their IT needs as well as provide maintenance and support.

What does an information technology consultant do?

An Information Technology Consultant, also known as IT Consultant, is responsible for sharing extensive knowledge of Information Technology by providing suggestions and solving issues within the company. Among the duties include installing and maintaining the necessary software and hardware, designing new procedures, overseeing all implementations, and ensuring that all systems are running smoothly, employing methods to secure databases, and providing essential instructions when needed. Furthermore, an Information Technology Consultant needs to coordinate and report to management or supervisors at all times.

Information technology associate vs information technology consultant salary

Information technology associates and information technology consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Consultant
Average salary$75,790$84,790
Salary rangeBetween $51,000 And $111,000Between $62,000 And $115,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateNew YorkWashington
Best paying companySAPCalifornia Resources
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between information technology associate and information technology consultant education

There are a few differences between an information technology associate and an information technology consultant in terms of educational background:

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Consultant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorComputer ScienceComputer Science
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Information technology associate vs information technology consultant demographics

Here are the differences between information technology associates' and information technology consultants' demographics:

Information Technology AssociateInformation Technology Consultant
Average age4243
Gender ratioMale, 73.2% Female, 26.8%Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 14.6% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.5% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%8%

Differences between information technology associate and information technology consultant duties and responsibilities

Information technology associate example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish defect-free releases through careful planning, testing and QA efforts.
  • Upgrade and maintain network hardware including Cisco manage switches, routers, and firewalls.
  • Lead international, multi-organizational software testing teams through the SDLC, towards a production go-live.
  • Manage and coordinate offshore resources in providing control validation testing for large retail company and SOX external audit.
  • Manage workforce forecasting, scheduling, and load balancing for call activities, ensuring SLA and quality assurance metrics are meet.
  • Manage security clearance for unit, conduct security investigation, and maintain security database.
  • Show more

Information technology consultant example responsibilities.

  • Accomplish telecommunication design and installation consulting services on VOIP phone systems.
  • Develop functional requirements as well as managed development and quality assurance activities using a full SDLC.
  • Ensure adequate security protections for proprietary data and intellectual property; manage and configure firewalls and security posture.
  • Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
  • Lead disaster recovery exercises, infrastructure hardware/software decommissioning initiatives and redeployment of legacy application retirements/migrations for Fannie Mae (client).
  • Assist in deploying PC's and laptops to sales organization as well as updating the OS as necessary per laptop specifications.
  • Show more

Information technology associate vs information technology consultant skills

Common information technology associate skills
  • SOC, 14%
  • Data Analysis, 12%
  • Sarbanes-Oxley, 9%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Develop Recommendations, 4%
Common information technology consultant skills
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Database, 8%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Cloud, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 4%
  • Business Processes, 4%

Browse computer and mathematical jobs