Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between policy advisors and contractor/consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a policy advisor has an average salary of $98,220, which is higher than the $84,811 average annual salary of a contractor/consultant.
The top three skills for a policy advisor include public policy, policy issues and policy development. The most important skills for a contractor/consultant are healthcare, post implementation, and data analysis.
| Policy Advisor | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $98,220 | $84,811 |
| Hourly rate | $47.22 | $40.77 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 39,659 | 64,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Policy advisors are professionals who are involved in activities related to policymaking while communicating with policy analysts about various issues. These advisors must assist policy analysts in creating policies and look at ways to implement them after they have been approved by upper management or government officials. They must analyze international and foreign policy issues so that they can devise effective advocacy and program strategies. Policy advisors must also attend congressional hearings to propose regulations and changes to existing regulations.
A contractor is a self-employed businessperson who agrees to work for a fixed price. His/her job involves the evaluation of clients' needs and actual performance of work. On the other hand, a consultant is a skilled independent businessperson who provides expert teaching and training in a specific market by assisting existing staff for the improvement of operations, problem-solving, and development of strategies. His/her role is to assess clients' needs and provide expert advice and opinion. However, both individuals are not employees, since they came from outside of the organization to perform such services.
Policy advisors and contractor/consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Policy Advisor | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Average salary | $98,220 | $84,811 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $141,000 | Between $58,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | NAIC | Cerner |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a policy advisor and a contractor/consultant in terms of educational background:
| Policy Advisor | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between policy advisors' and contractor/consultants' demographics:
| Policy Advisor | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.7% Female, 40.3% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| 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% |