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The differences between pre sales engineers 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 pre sales engineer, becoming a consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a pre sales engineer has an average salary of $116,651, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for a pre sales engineer include sales process, pre sales and cloud. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Pre Sales Engineer | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $116,651 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $56.08 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 68,855 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A pre-sales engineer's role is to assist clients by offering technology recommendations and advice, aiming to secure sales and client satisfaction. Aside from selling products and services, a pre-sales engineer is also responsible for coordinating with various sales personnel, identifying the needs of clients, discussing how the equipment and devices can help attain business goals, and answering any inquiries about the subject. Furthermore, it is essential to develop positive relationships with clients, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Pre sales engineers and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pre Sales Engineer | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $116,651 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $84,000 And $160,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a pre sales engineer and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Pre Sales Engineer | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between pre sales engineers' and consultants' demographics:
| Pre Sales Engineer | Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 75.4% 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 | 7% | 12% |