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The differences between search consultants 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 search consultant, becoming a consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a consultant has an average salary of $78,912, which is higher than the $51,380 average annual salary of a search consultant.
The top three skills for a search consultant include client websites, digital marketing and wordpress. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Search Consultant | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $51,380 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $24.70 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 15,165 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A search consultant works for educational institutions such as colleges and universities to search for deans, college presidents, and vice-presidents. You will be responsible for identifying and evaluating the best potential candidates to fill an institution's job vacancies. Your duties will include looking for effective ways to organize the search process, writing the job description, and responding to applications and nominations. In addition, you are expected to organize interviews, structure the search committee, and check references. You will also guide the chair in providing leadership for the search process so that confidentiality rules are understood and adhered to.
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.
Search consultants and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Search Consultant | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $51,380 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | VLink | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a search consultant and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Search Consultant | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between search consultants' and consultants' demographics:
| Search Consultant | Consultant | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 9% | 12% |