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The differences between lead consultants and associate consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a lead consultant, becoming an associate consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a lead consultant has an average salary of $103,221, which is higher than the $73,340 average annual salary of an associate consultant.
The top three skills for a lead consultant include customer service, digital transformation and business process. The most important skills for an associate consultant are healthcare, customer service, and project management.
| Lead Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $103,221 | $73,340 |
| Hourly rate | $49.63 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 78,252 | 94,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
The lead consultants oversee the work of a consultant team and are responsible for offering clients their advice and recommendations on the given project. They are multi-focus experts that assist the company in improving its business performance by acting as liaisons between clients and the consultancy team. Their main job is to ensure the daily management of client's projects. They help the client identify and understand their needs together with finding solutions to their difficulties. Additionally, they analyze and review proposals from the team and then provide relevant solutions to the problems.
An associate consultant is responsible for evaluating the project requirements based on clients' specifications, ensuring that the team meets project deliverables efficiently. Associate consultants test system applications and network infrastructure to recommend possible modifications for optimal performance and flawless navigation. They also identify cost-efficient business opportunities to gain more clients and improve overall project management procedures. An associate consultant may also facilitate training programs for the staff to maximize their productivity and hone their potential.
Lead consultants and associate consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Average salary | $103,221 | $73,340 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $132,000 | Between $60,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Practice Fusion | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a lead consultant and an associate consultant in terms of educational background:
| Lead Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between lead consultants' and associate consultants' demographics:
| Lead Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.9% Female, 32.1% | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 19.5% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |