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The differences between professional services consultants and associate 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 professional services consultant, becoming an associate consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a professional services consultant has an average salary of $110,145, which is higher than the $73,340 average annual salary of an associate consultant.
The top three skills for a professional services consultant include professional services, architecture and cloud. The most important skills for an associate consultant are healthcare, customer service, and project management.
| Professional Services Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $110,145 | $73,340 |
| Hourly rate | $52.95 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 156,160 | 94,983 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A professional services consultant supports their employer achieved short-term and long-term business needs. They provide beneficial information and analysis for upper management to use in decision making. Generally, professional services consultants may offer help in a variety of areas depending on their area of expertise. For example, a consultant with business strategy expertise may help to implement new techniques for greater cost-saving efficiency. Other professional services consultants may also assist other related businesses, such as financial planning and legal issues. Moreover, this position is mostly full time and in an office setting.
An associate consultant is responsible for evaluating the project requirements based on clients' specifications, ensuring that the team meets project deliverables efficiently. Associate consultants test system applications and network infrastructure to recommend possible modifications for optimal performance and flawless navigation. They also identify cost-efficient business opportunities to gain more clients and improve overall project management procedures. An associate consultant may also facilitate training programs for the staff to maximize their productivity and hone their potential.
Professional services consultants and associate consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Services Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Average salary | $110,145 | $73,340 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $148,000 | Between $60,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | Practice Fusion |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a professional services consultant and an associate consultant in terms of educational background:
| Professional Services Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between professional services consultants' and associate consultants' demographics:
| Professional Services Consultant | Associate Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 55.5% Female, 44.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 14.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |