Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between practitioners and consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a practitioner, becoming a consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a practitioner has an average salary of $84,058, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for a practitioner include patients, patient care and social work. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Practitioner | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $84,058 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $40.41 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 40% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 42,062 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
The duties of a practitioner depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the medical field, a practitioner is a doctor who provides medical services to patients according to their health issues or concerns, primarily by diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries. Their responsibilities include performing examinations and assessments, providing consultations and advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also maintain an active communication line with nurses and technicians for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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.
Practitioners and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Practitioner | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $84,058 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $138,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Morgan Stanley | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a practitioner and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Practitioner | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between practitioners' and consultants' demographics:
| Practitioner | Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 12% | 12% |