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The differences between market research consultants and 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 market research consultant, becoming a consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a market research consultant has an average salary of $85,073, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for a market research consultant include client facing, risk management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Market Research Consultant | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $85,073 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $40.90 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 76,424 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A market research consultant specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize a company's marketing operations. They perform extensive market research and analysis, gather and analyze client feedback, spearhead surveys and studies to determine how the current marketing projects affect the consumers, and develop social media techniques to raise brand awareness and public interest. Using their research findings, a market research consultant develops conclusions and recommendations that adhere to the company's goals. Moreover, there are instances when a market research consultant participates in planning and creating marketing programs and materials.
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.
Market research consultants and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Market Research Consultant | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $85,073 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $132,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Renton, WA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Invesco | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a market research consultant and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Market Research Consultant | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between market research consultants' and consultants' demographics:
| Market Research Consultant | Consultant | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 10% | 12% |