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The differences between information technology project leads and information technology consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an information technology project lead and an information technology consultant. Additionally, an information technology project lead has an average salary of $102,491, which is higher than the $84,790 average annual salary of an information technology consultant.
The top three skills for an information technology project lead include project management, software development and status reports. The most important skills for an information technology consultant are customer service, database, and project management.
| Information Technology Project Lead | Information Technology Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $102,491 | $84,790 |
| Hourly rate | $49.27 | $40.76 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 181,020 | 142,475 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Information technology (IT) project leads are professionals who manage a team of IT professionals that work on the IT projects of an organization. These project leads are required to handle all issues regarding the project and financial management as well as review business and product requirements with the technical development team to address production issues. They must collaborate with the technical and application team leaders so that they can ensure the appropriate development of infrastructure architecture. IT project leads must also participate in negotiations with the software suppliers and IT consulting firms.
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 project leads and information technology consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Technology Project Lead | Information Technology Consultant | |
| Average salary | $102,491 | $84,790 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $139,000 | Between $62,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Washington |
| Best paying company | Citi | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an information technology project lead and an information technology consultant in terms of educational background:
| Information Technology Project Lead | Information Technology Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information technology project leads' and information technology consultants' demographics:
| Information Technology Project Lead | Information Technology Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 Percentage | 11% | 8% |