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The differences between information technology consultants and information technology administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information technology consultant, becoming an information technology administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an information technology consultant has an average salary of $84,790, which is higher than the $73,195 average annual salary of an information technology administrator.
The top three skills for an information technology consultant include customer service, database and project management. The most important skills for an information technology administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and linux.
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $84,790 | $73,195 |
| Hourly rate | $40.76 | $35.19 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 142,475 | 159,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.
Information technology consultants and information technology administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Average salary | $84,790 | $73,195 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $50,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | California Resources | Databricks |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an information technology consultant and an information technology administrator in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information technology consultants' and information technology administrators' demographics:
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Administrator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |