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The differences between program officers and program 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 program officer, becoming a program consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a program officer has an average salary of $79,553, which is higher than the $73,021 average annual salary of a program consultant.
The top three skills for a program officer include project management, program management and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a program consultant are powerpoint, project management, and data collection.
| Program Officer | Program Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $79,553 | $73,021 |
| Hourly rate | $38.25 | $35.11 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 118,383 | 116,982 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A program officer is an essential part of a foundation or charitable organization. It is up to program officers to supervise program progress and proposals, seek grants, manage projects, and oversee budgets. They generally guarantee that an organization's activities and programs are met with the vision and mission statements of that foundation. It is the program officer's responsibility to complete various tasks in completing the demands of this position. Moreover, their job includes developing their staff, implementation, and daily management of activities.
A program consultant is responsible for evaluating program management plans and procedures to ensure that it adheres to the internal guidelines and specifications of business requirements. Program consultants advise the management team on the techniques and program flow according to the budget limitations and themes. They also assist the marketing and public relations team with marketing promotions and media announcements for the audience's awareness. A program consultant must be highly communicative and organizational, especially on resolving discrepancies and coordinating with suppliers for the program's needs.
Program officers and program consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Officer | Program Consultant | |
| Average salary | $79,553 | $73,021 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $117,000 | Between $46,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Woodbridge, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | BNP Paribas | DocuSign |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a program officer and a program consultant in terms of educational background:
| Program Officer | Program Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program officers' and program consultants' demographics:
| Program Officer | Program Consultant | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.1% Female, 52.9% | Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 11.7% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 12% |