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The differences between senior associates and functional consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior associate, becoming a functional consultant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a functional consultant has an average salary of $85,317, which is higher than the $83,034 average annual salary of a senior associate.
The top three skills for a senior associate include project management, business development and powerpoint. The most important skills for a functional consultant are business process, prototyping, and ERP.
| Senior Associate | Functional Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $83,034 | $85,317 |
| Hourly rate | $39.92 | $41.02 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 54,601 | 51,066 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
The Responsibilities of a Senior Associate will depend on the line of organization or industry. Most of the time, the duties will revolve around conducting various testing and assessments, planning and analysis, developing innovative solutions to boost company productivity, and keeping an organized flow of documentation. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of a Senior to Associate to lead a team of skilled professionals and shape them with extensive knowledge while adhering to its policies and regulations.
A functional consultant is responsible for supporting a team of business analysts and software engineers in designing and creating a software system and related computer applications, following the specifications of a client on their software needs. Functional consultants analyze different technological approaches, evaluate technical solutions, and utilize the best system method to meet the requirements of a client efficiently. A functional consultant performs multiple diagnostic tests to ensure the optimal performance of the system. They should also have excellent communication skills, especially in coordinating with the clients on updates and adjustments as needed.
Senior associates and functional consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Associate | Functional Consultant | |
| Average salary | $83,034 | $85,317 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $121,000 | Between $65,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton | Workday |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a senior associate and a functional consultant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Associate | Functional Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between senior associates' and functional consultants' demographics:
| Senior Associate | Functional Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.6% Female, 44.4% | Male, 71.9% Female, 28.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.2% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 25.2% White, 51.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 8% |