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The differences between information technology consultants and information technology directors 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 director takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an information technology director has an average salary of $138,906, which is higher than the $84,790 average annual salary of an information technology consultant.
The top three skills for an information technology consultant include customer service, database and project management. The most important skills for an information technology director are customer service, project management, and cloud.
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Director | |
| Yearly salary | $84,790 | $138,906 |
| Hourly rate | $40.76 | $66.78 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 142,475 | 87,765 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
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) Director is an individual responsible for the management, strategy, and execution of an organization's IT infrastructure. He/She supervises a team of workers while working with the organization's management and external vendors and advisors. Aside from managing workers, an IT director should possess problem-solving skills and an aptitude for organizational thinking. An IT director must also identify new market opportunities and should lead an effort to improve the organization's IT process.
Information technology consultants and information technology directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Director | |
| Average salary | $84,790 | $138,906 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $97,000 And $197,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | California Resources | The Tipping Point |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information technology consultant and an information technology director in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between information technology consultants' and information technology directors' demographics:
| Information Technology Consultant | Information Technology Director | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9% |
| 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, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |