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Project manager vs consultant/project manager

The differences between project managers and consultant/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a consultant/project manager has an average salary of $100,754, which is higher than the $91,578 average annual salary of a project manager.

The top three skills for a project manager include project management, project scope and customer service. The most important skills for a consultant/project manager are project management, project scope, and business development.

Project manager vs consultant/project manager overview

Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Yearly salary$91,578$100,754
Hourly rate$44.03$48.44
Growth rate8%11%
Number of jobs167,116213,963
Job satisfaction4.17-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

What does a project manager do?

Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.

What does a consultant/project manager do?

Consultants/project managers act as planners, leaders, and advisors in business enterprises. These professionals facilitate meetings and establish positive relationships with vendors, management, and clients. They make customer visits, maintain industry knowledge, procure third-party software and hardware, and deliver projects. It is also part of their duty to manage complex initiatives in an individual business unit or organization. Their skills include analytical, time and cost management, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and proficiency in project management software.

Project manager vs consultant/project manager salary

Project managers and consultant/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Average salary$91,578$100,754
Salary rangeBetween $64,000 And $129,000Between $74,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAHartford, CT
Highest paying stateCaliforniaConnecticut
Best paying companyThe CitadelMicrosoft
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between project manager and consultant/project manager education

There are a few differences between a project manager and a consultant/project manager in terms of educational background:

Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Project manager vs consultant/project manager demographics

Here are the differences between project managers' and consultant/project managers' demographics:

Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 68.9% Female, 31.1%Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between project manager and consultant/project manager duties and responsibilities

Project manager example responsibilities.

  • Schedule and manage the GCP audit process.
  • Define, develop and manage metrics and KPIs systems for new product business group.
  • Manage the application process for the FDA medical device, minority and small business certifications.
  • Manage multiple projects and resources simultaneously while mentoring, coaching and implementing best practices, SOX and HIPAA compliance standards.
  • Lead teams using the Informatica ETL tool for the design and development of multiple financial and risk enterprise data warehouses.
  • Administer and manage Salesforce requirements.
  • Show more

Consultant/project manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead and manage team of business analysts responsible for defining detail functional specifications for large-scale CRM implementation.
  • Project manage software development initiatives according to company SDLC.
  • Manage quality/regulatory control and clinical personnel, to deliver on time data-migration project using SDLC.
  • Develop training programs for ERP implementations, and manage development of custom performance support and knowledge management software solutions.
  • Implement a repeatable process methodology base on the PMI PMBOK defining a systematic approach to delivering solutions and achieving customer objectives.
  • Draft system documentation and create business process flows using Visio.
  • Show more

Project manager vs consultant/project manager skills

Common project manager skills
  • Project Management, 23%
  • Project Scope, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Infrastructure, 5%
  • Status Reports, 4%
  • Risk Management, 3%
Common consultant/project manager skills
  • Project Management, 19%
  • Project Scope, 11%
  • Business Development, 10%
  • Executive Management, 6%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%
  • Manage Project Scope, 6%

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