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Job outlook for senior consultants, business development in the United States
Senior consultant, business development job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior consultant, business development job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 2,900 new jobs for senior consultants, business development are projected over the next decade.
Senior consultant, business development salaries have increased 9% for senior consultants, business development in the last 5 years.
There are over 43,017 senior consultants, business development currently employed in the United States.
There are 124,778 active senior consultant, business development job openings in the US.
The average senior consultant, business development salary is $104,556.
Are senior consultant, business development jobs in demand?
Senior consultant, business development job and salary trends over time
Senior consultant, business development jobs over time
Senior consultant, business development job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43,017 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 22,186 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 21,846 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 41,118 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 38,711 | 0.01% |
Average senior consultant, business development salary over time
Senior consultant, business development salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $104,556 | $50.27 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $102,486 | $49.27 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $100,668 | $48.40 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $97,874 | $47.06 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $95,686 | $46.00 | +3.1% |
Senior consultant, business development jobs by state
Most common states for senior consultants, business development
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 499 | 72% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 417 | 48% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,080 | 37% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 346 | 33% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 568 | 30% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 224 | 30% |
| 7 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,248 | 26% |
| 8 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 768 | 26% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 745 | 24% |
| 10 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 501 | 24% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 138 | 24% |
| 12 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,431 | 23% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,319 | 23% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 918 | 23% |
| 15 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 657 | 22% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 230 | 22% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 167 | 22% |
| 18 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,382 | 20% |
| 19 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,352 | 20% |
| 20 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 591 | 20% |
Most common cities for senior consultants, business development
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrison | 1 | 4% | $121,645 |
| 2 | West Des Moines | 1 | 2% | $108,037 |
| 3 | Lansing | 1 | 1% | $100,487 |
| 4 | Tempe | 1 | 1% | $97,725 |
| 5 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $101,036 |
Senior Consultant, Business Development job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior consultant, business development experts
University of West Florida
Lewis-Clark State College
Portland State University
Duke University
Xavier University
University of Saint Mary
University of North Florida
Coastal Carolina University
Lasell University
The Pennsylvania State University
Bucknell University
Creighton University
Saint Peter's University
Lorain County Community College
American Association of Cosmetology Schools
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
Western Kentucky University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Franklin and Marshall College
University of Arkansas
What will help Senior Consultants, Business Development increase their earning potential?
Dr. Haris Alibašić Ph.D., MPA: "In the next 3-5 years, specific skills are poised to become increasingly important in business: Data Literacy, Digital Proficiency, Emotional Intelligence, Sustainability, Resilience, and Social Responsibility. However, the most necessary lasting skill that benefited my career is Effective Communication. Being able to communicate effectively is an indispensable skill."
What skills stand out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
Jenny Scott: -Relevant industry experience (for SR Business Consultant: 10 years)
-Project management
-Strategic Planning
-Team and Executive Leadership
What soft skills should all Senior Consultants, Business Development possess?
Jenny Scott: Emotional Intelligence is #1. The saying goes, "IQ gets you hired; EQ gets you promoted." Those that have a high level of emotional intelligence are able to first manage their own emotions and then the ability to manage the emotions of those they lead/supervise. It involves a combination of the practice of the four components of Emotional Intelligence: Self-awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. With workplace emotions running rampant in today's world, having a leader that can help manage those effectively will create and cultivate a calming and viable work environment.
Culture "fit" is also more important than some may think. While some may meet all qualifications of the job and can effectively do the job itself, how a person "fits" with the company culture is more important. Consider the company's core values, mission, and vision and whether that aligns with your own.
Critical thinking should never be underestimated. Depending on the amount of time allowed to make a decision or think through a strategy, apply critical thinking skills to consider all options and potential consequences. Consider varying perspectives and what route and outcome will aid in attaining the organization's goals and carrying out its mission.
Listening to the needs and desires of the organization or the project. Valuing some dissension and not total conformity leads to a highly cohesive team/organization.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Consultants, Business Development?
Jenny Scott: Consulting requires knowing the job itself, so industry experience is paramount.
Both "big picture/systems" thinking, as well as the ability to identify and understand details (analytical skills), is key skill in business consulting.
Don't forget the value of written communication skills. With fewer in-person meetings, being able to professionally, succinctly, and effectively write is one of the most coveted and essential skills.
Presentation skills are still - if not more - important today. Being familiar with a variety of presentation tools and platforms can be helpful; however, finding one or a few where you can be highly proficient will help achieve both efficiencies of communications, message delivery, and desired outcome.
What skills will help Senior Consultants, Business Development earn the most?
Jenny Scott: -Emotional Intelligence
-Relevant industry experience (expertise)
-Written and oral presentation communication
-Ability to relate and connect . . .the best strategy in the world will live on paper only if the leader is not able to relate to their people (all stakeholder groups) and connect. Leadership involves three key elements: People - Influence - Goals. The most effective leaders are able to ethically influence their followers for the purpose of attaining the organization's mission and goals.
Becky Sanchez
Executive Director of Career & Academic ServicesPortland State University
The School of Business
What skills will help Senior Consultants, Business Development earn the most?
Becky Sanchez: -The ability to concisely and effectively communicate your point
-Negotiation skills
-Understanding of data analysis and how to leverage data to do your job more effectively
-Leadership skills and an interest in managing others
Michael Munger
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director, PPE ProgramDuke University
Department of Political Science
What skills stand out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
Michael Munger: Political science is an ancient career synergy, one that explores the connections between ethical considerations and engineering policy that works. Someone who majors in Political Science is able to make arguments about the questions that have plagued philosophers for thousands of years while using the latest data techniques to scrape online sources of information on social media. So political science instructors have to combine ethics, knowledge of esoteric procedures and laws, and statistics!
What skills will help Senior Consultants, Business Development earn the most?
Michael Munger: The ability to lead a group by example and to get other people to feel that they are part of something larger than themselves. At its best, Political Science is like an entire little liberal arts curriculum. It's the perfect preparation for leadership, either in government or the private sector!
Mike Halloran
Teaching Professor, Management and Entrepreneurship, Taskforce Member, Center for InnovationXavier University
Management Department
What soft skills should all Senior Consultants, Business Development possess?
Mike Halloran: -Leadership
-Working well with others
-Oral and written communication
- Thinking analytically, creatively, and strategically
-Leadership
-Time management
- Motivation and drive
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs, Coordinator of All-University Honors ProgramUniversity of Saint Mary
Division of Business and Information Technologies (DBiT)
What soft skills should all Senior Consultants, Business Development possess?
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: First, critical and creative thinking. Employers value problem solvers. A Business Development Managers' problem usually is finding growth opportunities. Candidates need to learn to take the initiative to figure out how to solve problems like those.
Second, writing. The best employees know how to communicate in writing. More and more communication occurs through email and other forms of social media and apps, and as such, this skill is absolutely critical. You don't need to be a creative writing genius, but you do need to know how to write in a professional tone, present your ideas in an organized way, get to the point, and avoid errors. There is a direct line between a student's ability to write an academic essay with a clear thesis and an employee's ability to write a good email or proposal. If you can't do those things, then you risk embarrassment and possibly limited options for promotion.
Third, speaking. The American business world discriminates against introverts-sometimes at their own peril. Everyone needs to know how to give a quality speech, but more importantly, you need to sound confident and assertive in a board room during meetings. You need to be confident in front of clients. Fake it if you have to. The way you present yourself is absolutely critical.
Fourth, social skills. You need to be friendly. Get to know co-workers and clients. Find out what they like and show an interest. Find common ground. Your undergraduate degree hopefully exposed you to a wide diversity of topics you may have thought were irrelevant at some point. Now is the time to remember that stuff and use it to connect with people. Nearly everything you learned will have some application someday. It will help you connect with others. In addition, put away your cell phone when you are at work or on social occasions. To some people, a preoccupation with a cell phone communicates a lack of interest in the person you are with. It can alienate bosses, co-workers, and clients.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Consultants, Business Development?
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: Familiarity with software-basic windows packages, particularly MS Word and Excel. Candidates should not be afraid of quantitative data analysis. Analytics are necessary to figuring out what your business is doing and how it can grow. Also, familiarity with whatever social media platforms are used in that industry can be very important.
What skills will help Senior Consultants, Business Development earn the most?
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: One consideration is, does the position pay commission? If so, the soft skills listed above are extremely important because the more you apply those skills, the more likely you are to grow your business.
When a manager is not on commission, there's little correlation between skills and pay while doing the job. The employer will hire you at a given salary level, and it is your job to negotiate to the best position. Once they have chosen you-that's the moment when you have the most leverage. You will never get a raise that is as substantial as what you might be able to ask for upon hire. After that, most raises are not going to be tied mechanically to performance and skills. Your next chance at a raise will be when you move or are promoted to a new position. Thus, those soft skills can affect your ability to negotiate.
I will repeat a previous theme: education and experience are probably more important than skills in terms of making more money. An employer can't really tell what your skills are from your resume. Just because you say you have a skill doesn't mean that you really do. They can reasonably guess that somebody with a degree is responsible enough to have accomplished something big. Somebody who makes it through a graduate program is probably very good at what they know. And somebody who has been in the industry and/or in a similar job is more likely to be able to walk in with little orientation and know what they are doing. Employers take risks on employees and hope that they can deliver. Thus, with more education and more experience, you are able to apply for higher-level jobs, which usually come with higher salaries.
What skills stand out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
Dr. Mark Harvey Ph.D.: Resumes are hard. It is very difficult to predict what any employer is looking for on any resume. The "skills" section of a resume is probably not the first thing most employers are looking at. The first consideration is probably education. Those with a bachelor's degree will be sorted first in fields-such as those who have business degrees, or particularly sales and marketing majors. Those with MBAs will be placed on the top. Those who have MBAs and marketing concentrations will likely be valued the most. The second consideration would probably be experience. Someone with several years of experience in business development or sales and marketing will be moved to the top. Someone with a bachelor's degree who has a lot of experience might beat out a fresh MBA. However, MBA plus experience beats almost everything. Someone with an MBA going for an entry-level position with little experience needed will likely beat out all bachelor challengers. For new graduates, getting some kind of internship in sales and marketing can differentiate them from those who do not.
Most hiring managers will probably assume that somebody who has sales and marketing education and/or experience probably has the skills necessary to do the job. An interviewer may probe on specific skills. I'll comment more specifically on other kinds of skills below, but it's also fair to say that a candidate's soft skills should shine in the interview. Simply saying that you have certain skills on a resume doesn't mean that you actually have them.
I think that the best thing a candidate can do is to research the company they hope to work for and tailor their resume to that employer. What does the business do? What kinds of things do you think that development manager is going to do in that particular industry? How do your skills as a candidate match what you guess they're looking for? The more you customize your resume, the better chances you have of resonating with the company. Employers are impressed when you already know something about the job and the industry.
Russell Triplett Ph.D.
Interim Chair and Associate ProfessorUniversity of North Florida
Department of Economics and Geography
What skills stand out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
Russell Triplett Ph.D.: We must acknowledge that the pandemic remains a fluid situation with many implications that are not yet easily observed. That said, I see three key trends that are characteristic of our most successful students. First, the shift to remote working situations challenges employers to develop new ways to build teams and foster teamwork. Graduates that are well-prepared to collaborate and contribute in non-traditional ways are in high demand. Second, the pandemic accelerated the growth in platform-based delivery and retail services, generating a need for strong skills in data and business analytics. Third, it has always been true that graduates who are versatile and can think critically about the status quo are especially valuable; the shock of the pandemic created a more fertile ground for creative problem solvers and innovators.
Sourav Batabyal Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Finance and EconomicsCoastal Carolina University
Finance and Economics Department
What skills stand out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
Sourav Batabyal Ph.D.: Problem-solving, Creative thinking, Data Analytics, Competitive Strategies, Communication, Leadership and Team Building, Decision making.
Dr. Brian Wardyga
Professor of Communication; General Manager, 109.2FM WLAS & LCTVLasell University
School of Communication and The Arts
What soft skills should all Senior Consultants, Business Development possess?
Dr. Brian Wardyga: Most important soft skills include organization and time management, thinking conceptually and practically, being concise and to the point, and exhibiting common courtesy and professionalism. Flexibility, curiosity, and the desire to work as a team are also important--strong communication skills.
James Wilkerson Ph.D.
Business Program Coordinator, Project and Supply Chain Management Program CoordinatorThe Pennsylvania State University
Business Department
What skills stand out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Skills, experience, knowledge, and abilities that matter especially strongly include target market analysis (including market research skills and knowledge), product/service positioning within competitive field, project work or coordination with sales staff, major client relationship management, and enough general business and industry knowledge to be able to relate business development to operational/production realities.
What soft skills should all Senior Consultants, Business Development possess?
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Verbal skills (both speaking and writing), negotiation skills, unfailing honesty, ability to empathize with clients' wants, and teamwork skills suitable for working collaboratively with sales and operations staff.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Consultants, Business Development?
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Spreadsheet (Excel) skills (including graph production from data), basic statistical knowledge, and online information search skills.
What skills will help Senior Consultants, Business Development earn the most?
James Wilkerson Ph.D.: Skill at rapidly learning market trends, relating business development to product development, and persuading major prospective clients when brought in to help with closing sales. Bottom line: the business development manager must be on the cutting edge of new market conditions and new business opportunities to help the firm organically grow its sales, especially in new markets or product/service lines.
Neil Boyd Ph.D.
David J. & Deborah West Professor of Management; Chair, Management and Organizations DepartmentBucknell University
Management and Organizations Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Consultants, Business Development?
Neil Boyd Ph.D.: Project management, understanding and using concepts, models, and theory from management science, analytics, excel/SPSS/R, Powerpoint/Google Slides.
What skills will help Senior Consultants, Business Development earn the most?
Neil Boyd Ph.D.: A combination of hard and soft skills, but at the end of the day, soft skills are critical to truly helping clients. And, for sure, they can be learned. This is a challenge for management education, but places like the Freeman College of Management at Bucknell work hard to develop soft skills in students primarily through coaching, experiential and community-based pedagogies, and professional development programming.
Natalie Gerhart Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Business Intelligence & AnalyticsCreighton University
Department of Business Intelligence & Analytics
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Consultants, Business Development?
Natalie Gerhart Ph.D.: For BIA students, like all students, having the ability to be adaptable and grow your skills is important. Technology is rapidly changing and will continue to change over the course of most student's careers. It is important for students to demonstrate their adaptability through multiple tools, as well as their inquisitive nature that drives life-long learning. A machine learning course is a must as well as exposure to open source tools such as Python or R. Also we are seeing an uptick in demand for visualization skills (i.e. Tableau). While I haven't seen an overwhelming benefit of certifications for our students, there are certainly several available that never hurt. Google and AWS certifications are popular.
Currently, all business students need to have a basic understanding of analytics. That no longer means simply statistics, but how to use statistics to derive understanding and business insights. Further, all business students need to have an understanding of the strategic nature of technology in a business. Simply having technology is not enough.
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Consultants, Business Development?
Natalie Gerhart Ph.D.: Technology is not going away and is becoming increasingly relevant in the strategy of businesses. As a result, salaries in these fields have been trending up, and will, overall, continue to do so, I think. We have been seeing an increasing in IT spend, which doesn't always correlate with salaries, but does show an uptick in the value being placed on technology. As technology continues to evolve and become more ubiquitous, the value placed on advanced technology skills will continue to rise.
Joseph Gilkey Ph.D.
Chair Business Administration, Director, Data Science Institute, Director of MBA and MSA Masters Programs, Associate Professor Department of Business AdministrationSaint Peter's University
Department of Business Administration
What Senior Consultant, Business Development skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Joseph Gilkey Ph.D.: As I mentioned earlier, with employers pushing the bar higher on expectations and more and more focus being placed on data, build skill sets in the area of analytics. Being able to use data to understand business problems would help to enhance the person's ability to compete in the marketplace today.
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator for Communication StudiesLorain County Community College
Arts & Humanities Division
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Consultant, Business Development job market given the pandemic?
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.: I think that many employees will continue to work from home post-pandemic. During COVID-19, people worked effectively at home, and in many instances, were more productive than when they were physically at the office. Employers will likely consider if they should pay for office space when their employees can do their jobs at home. If the traditional office space does become obsolete, employees will have to reimagine their home offices to promote a professional environment for digital platforms. They'll also have to work harder at making connections with others. High tech requires high touch. In other words, when we rely on computer-mediated communication, we need to interact more to establish relationships. Improving and maintaining digital communication skills will be essential as employees navigate their post-pandemic careers.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Senior Consultants, Business Development in the next 3-5 years?
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.: I think we'll continue to use digital platforms such as Zoom, WebEx, and Teams. We'll likely see improved options in these platforms, such as enhanced breakout rooms, better file-sharing capabilities, and synchronous document creation/editing. If we continue to work from home, these platforms will also need to do well on smartphones.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Consultants, Business Development to find work opportunities?
Anthony Civitano: Beauty is a worldwide necessity. Our graduates will always be in demand and never have their career of choice outsourced. Covid-19 has proven that Beauty professionals ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS! We change people's lives by making them feel better about themselves, which has a fantastic effect on people.
Dr. Anthony Stanowski
President & CEOCommission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Consultants, Business Development to find work opportunities?
Dr. Anthony Stanowski: Yes, the right places to look at are the places where you think you can make a difference. Where is your passion? Is it in inner-city areas, struggling to meet the needs of the poor and disenfranchised? Is it in rural areas where the challenges are how to knit together limited resources to provide to communities that are spread out to meet critical healthcare needs? Is it in sizeable academic health systems where the challenge lies in forming internal and external constituencies' coalitions to succeed?
Is it in integrated delivery systems that are national in scope, working to transform healthcare by knitting together insurance, pharmaceuticals, and patient care but are struggling against regulatory roadblocks and the established ways of doing things? Is your passion in the growing informatics sector, where you can help organizations use data more accurately? Is it in telemedicine? Health policy? Physician practice management? Know yourself and what you believe in. Work to make a difference. Healthcare is the noblest of fields, and I hope that people choosing to enter healthcare stay faithful to its calling.
What experience really stands out on Senior Consultant, Business Development resumes?
Peter Woolley Ph.D.: It depends on who is doing the hiring. (a.) Experience with budget management and any analysis is usually considered a big plus. Everyone runs on a budget. Someone's got to understand it and get the most out of it. I always recommend everyone take as many public finance courses as they can stand. (b.) Experience in a supervisory position is a standout. Emphasize any assignments you had looking after other people. And don't say you were assigned to train new employees. Say you were hand-picked to orient, onboard, and train new employees.
What Senior Consultant, Business Development skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Peter Woolley Ph.D.: There is a universe of knowledge that each of us lacks. If you need or want to take a gap year, use it to figure out who you want to work for and at what level, and learn everything available about that organization or agency or job. If there's anything that's a mismatch for the job you want, take the gap year to fix it. There are lots of affordable and compact continuing-ed opportunities to showcase on your resume.
Dr. Stephanie McNulty Ph.D.
Chair and Associate Professor of GovernmentFranklin and Marshall College
Government Department
What type of skills will young Senior Consultants, Business Development need?
Dr. Stephanie McNulty Ph.D.: I expect that many of the same skills employers have always sought out will continue to be necessary. These include strong communication skills, working independently and in teams, and the ability to think critically about complex issues and solve complex problems. As a result of the pandemic and ongoing global trends, a strong understanding of and using new or innovative technology to do all of these things is essential. I expect this to continue into the coming years. As the economy shrinks, strong networking skills are also as vital as ever, and I do not wish to change.
What type of skills will young Senior Consultants, Business Development need?
Lori Birrell: Being an independent worker is a crucial skill for those entering the library science field. Those who are flexible and comfortable with taking the initiative can apply their skills and knowledge background to a variety of tasks and positions. Communication, being detail-oriented, and leadership are also essential skills to bring to the workforce. Librarians interact daily-regardless of their status-with a wide variety of stakeholders. Those professionals who are most successful will be those who can advocate for their work and its impact on the organization and society.