Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead contractors and contracts specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lead contractor has an average salary of $97,028, which is higher than the $63,727 average annual salary of a contracts specialist.
The top three skills for a lead contractor include project management, contract management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a contracts specialist are veterans, DOD, and contract administration.
| Lead Contractor | Contracts Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $97,028 | $63,727 |
| Hourly rate | $46.65 | $30.64 |
| Growth rate | - | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 18,840 | 27,244 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A lead contractor is someone who is in charge of designing, building, and the engineering elements of a construction project. Lead contractors serve as the prime subcontractors to a development entity. They direct contract administration for the services and commodities as the team leads. It is part of their responsibilities to be goal-oriented with consistent meetings and create project management-related objectives. Also, they implement failure analysis and its modes and project management practices while they develop the failure analysis program.
A contract specialist is responsible for evaluating contract agreements between the business and its clients. Contract specialists write beneficial deals that would develop good, professional working partnerships. They negotiate terms with clients, analyzing bid offers, review legislation processes and regulations, provide immediate resolution for breach of contracts, manage procurement proposals, and communicate with potential and existing clients for any amendments and clarifications. A contract specialist must have excellent communication and negotiation skills and broad knowledge of legal terminologies and contract styles.
Lead contractors and contracts specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Contractor | Contracts Specialist | |
| Average salary | $97,028 | $63,727 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $151,000 | Between $40,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Livermore, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Parker Drilling Co | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a lead contractor and a contracts specialist in terms of educational background:
| Lead Contractor | Contracts Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between lead contractors' and contracts specialists' demographics:
| Lead Contractor | Contracts Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |