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The differences between network architects and network consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a network architect and a network consultant. Additionally, a network architect has an average salary of $105,375, which is higher than the $89,303 average annual salary of a network consultant.
The top three skills for a network architect include architecture, BGP and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a network consultant are appeals, firewall, and windows server.
| Network Architect | Network Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $105,375 | $89,303 |
| Hourly rate | $50.66 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 96,500 | 58,194 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A network architect is an information technology expert specializing in designing and developing network systems for a company. Their responsibilities typically include performing research and analysis to identify and understand the network needs of a company, planning and performing installations and implementation, establishing guidelines and timelines, upgrading systems, and developing strategies to enhance network operations. Moreover, a network architect must implement security policies and regulations, conduct regular maintenance checks, and perform repairs and modifications to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow.
Network consultants are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for designing, setting up, and maintaining computer networks for an organization or at a client location. These consultants are required to meet with the manager of an organization and network engineers to discuss their networking requirements. By supervising a team of IT professionals, these consultants must administer technical issues and fix infrastructure issues onsite. Network consultants must also maintain documentation for IT infrastructure as well as coordinate network documentation with account managers.
Network architects and network consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Architect | Network Consultant | |
| Average salary | $105,375 | $89,303 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $146,000 | Between $60,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Mountain View, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Anaplan | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a network architect and a network consultant in terms of educational background:
| Network Architect | Network Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between network architects' and network consultants' demographics:
| Network Architect | Network Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 12.3% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 11.3% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |