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The differences between process improvement consultants and project consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a process improvement consultant and a project consultant. Additionally, a process improvement consultant has an average salary of $88,903, which is higher than the $86,654 average annual salary of a project consultant.
The top three skills for a process improvement consultant include lean six sigma, project management and healthcare. The most important skills for a project consultant are customer service, project management, and client facing.
| Process Improvement Consultant | Project Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $88,903 | $86,654 |
| Hourly rate | $42.74 | $41.66 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 86,144 | 113,013 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A process improvement consultant is responsible for evaluating the current operational processes, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and developing strategic techniques to improve procedures, increasing maximum productivity with a cost-reduction approach. Process improvement consultants analyze the project management policies of the department, facilitate process training for the employees, and search for business opportunities that would generate more resources for revenues and profits. They write progress update reports and discuss with management, as well as present data analysis findings from the company's market performance.
A project consultant is responsible for communicating with the clients for their specific needs, develop strategic plans, and determine project resources to achieve their business goals and objectives. Project consultants are employed across various industries, offering their knowledge and expertise to facilitate clients' requests and propositions. They also collaborate with different development teams to discuss project parameters and analyze opportunities to improve plans and progress efficiency. A project consultant must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, responding to clients' inquiries and concerns, and providing recommendations to ensure successful project completion.
Process improvement consultants and project consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Improvement Consultant | Project Consultant | |
| Average salary | $88,903 | $86,654 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $118,000 | Between $59,000 And $126,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Texas | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Pacific Gas and Electric | Dell |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a process improvement consultant and a project consultant in terms of educational background:
| Process Improvement Consultant | Project Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between process improvement consultants' and project consultants' demographics:
| Process Improvement Consultant | Project Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% | Male, 61.9% Female, 38.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.4% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |