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The differences between junior consultants and functional consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a junior consultant, becoming a functional consultant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a junior consultant has an average salary of $99,198, which is higher than the $85,317 average annual salary of a functional consultant.
The top three skills for a junior consultant include HTML, JR and pre sales. The most important skills for a functional consultant are business process, prototyping, and ERP.
| Junior Consultant | Functional Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $99,198 | $85,317 |
| Hourly rate | $47.69 | $41.02 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 74,719 | 51,066 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Junior Consultants are individual contributors whose services may be tapped by a company or a client. They usually specialize in a specific industry or a specific skill. They work with their clients on a project or program related to their specialization. They may be asked to work with other consultants or under senior consultants. Junior consultants join their clients during program briefs and planning sessions. During these sessions, they listen in on the ideas and the direction that clients want to take. They would then start working on the plans and create concrete steps to ensure that they reach their goals. Junior Consultants would provide recommendations for their clients to ensure their success. They would also oversee the implementation of the activities.
A functional consultant is responsible for supporting a team of business analysts and software engineers in designing and creating a software system and related computer applications, following the specifications of a client on their software needs. Functional consultants analyze different technological approaches, evaluate technical solutions, and utilize the best system method to meet the requirements of a client efficiently. A functional consultant performs multiple diagnostic tests to ensure the optimal performance of the system. They should also have excellent communication skills, especially in coordinating with the clients on updates and adjustments as needed.
Junior consultants and functional consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Consultant | Functional Consultant | |
| Average salary | $99,198 | $85,317 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $147,000 | Between $65,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Boston Consulting Group | Workday |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a junior consultant and a functional consultant in terms of educational background:
| Junior Consultant | Functional Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | - |
Here are the differences between junior consultants' and functional consultants' demographics:
| Junior Consultant | Functional Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 25.2% White, 51.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |