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The differences between internal consultants and consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an internal consultant and a consultant. Additionally, an internal consultant has an average salary of $91,097, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for an internal consultant include project management, process improvement and internal controls. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Internal Consultant | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $91,097 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $43.80 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 70,927 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An internal consultant is responsible for providing consultation on the business process and operations to identify key areas of improvement and review its effectiveness to support the business goals and objectives. Internal consultants must have excellent organizational skills and expertise in business planning and project management to strategize and improve existing methodologies that would raise the company's performance. They also develop training and programs necessary for the employees to maximize their productivity and manage efficiency.
Consultants are individuals who were tapped by a company or an organization to work on a specific activity, depending on their field of expertise. They act as guides for the organization in undertaking projects that are related to their field. Consultants would usually assist organizations in planning, often giving advice when the need arises. They would, at times, take the lead in activities that involve data gathering and interpretation of data gathering results so that they can provide solid recommendations on actions that the organization may undertake. They may also guide the organization in implementing any changes brought about by their consultancy and in evaluating the effectiveness of the changes.
Internal consultants and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Internal Consultant | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $91,097 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $122,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Citi | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an internal consultant and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Internal Consultant | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between internal consultants' and consultants' demographics:
| Internal Consultant | Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 12.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |