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Job outlook for senior development consultants in the United States
Senior development consultant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior development consultant job growth rate is 21% from 2018-2028.
About 284,100 new jobs for senior development consultants are projected over the next decade.
Senior development consultant salaries have increased 10% for senior development consultants in the last 5 years.
There are over 209,863 senior development consultants currently employed in the United States.
There are 311,251 active senior development consultant job openings in the US.
The average senior development consultant salary is $101,842.
Are senior development consultant jobs in demand?
Senior development consultant job and salary trends over time
Senior development consultant jobs over time
Senior development consultant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 209,863 | 0.06% |
| 2020 | 267,768 | 0.08% |
| 2019 | 163,445 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 250,890 | 0.08% |
| 2017 | 237,677 | 0.07% |
Average senior development consultant salary over time
Senior development consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101,842 | $48.96 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $98,486 | $47.35 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $96,257 | $46.28 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $94,557 | $45.46 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $92,968 | $44.70 | +1.9% |
Senior development consultant jobs by state
Most common states for senior development consultants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 745 | 107% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 436 | 50% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 508 | 48% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,374 | 43% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 257 | 41% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,645 | 39% |
| 7 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,404 | 36% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 274 | 36% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,625 | 35% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,456 | 35% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 667 | 35% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,869 | 34% |
| 13 | Alaska | 739,795 | 244 | 33% |
| 14 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,003 | 32% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 413 | 31% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,905 | 30% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 3,098 | 30% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 289 | 30% |
| 19 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 831 | 29% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 602 | 29% |
Most common cities for senior development consultants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 3 | 11% | $80,827 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 4 | 10% | $101,279 |
| 3 | Olympia | 3 | 6% | $117,868 |
| 4 | Arlington | 2 | 5% | $107,134 |
| 5 | Lansing | 4 | 3% | $93,078 |
| 6 | Washington | 15 | 2% | $109,895 |
| 7 | Atlanta | 8 | 2% | $95,029 |
| 8 | Little Rock | 3 | 2% | $89,050 |
| 9 | Albany | 2 | 2% | $112,946 |
| 10 | Boston | 9 | 1% | $107,171 |
| 11 | Austin | 5 | 1% | $98,735 |
| 12 | Tampa | 5 | 1% | $91,786 |
| 13 | Denver | 4 | 1% | $80,818 |
| 14 | Sacramento | 3 | 1% | $132,457 |
| 15 | Chicago | 5 | 0% | $94,254 |
| 16 | New York | 4 | 0% | $113,107 |
| 17 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $91,099 |
| 18 | Philadelphia | 3 | 0% | $105,769 |
| 19 | San Francisco | 3 | 0% | $132,695 |
Senior Development Consultant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior development consultant experts
California State University - Sacramento
Davidson College
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Mount St. Joseph University
University of Richmond
Idaho State University
Wright State University
Duke University
University of Hawaii at Hilo
University of Minnesota - Crookston
Gannon University
The University of Arizona
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
University of Toledo
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Eastern Washington University
What Senior Development Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sepehr Mohammadian: 1. This is a pretty broad question. CS degree graduates can engage in different tasks and responsibilities based on the nature of their profession. Examples include 1) software engineering, in which the individual's efforts are toward leading or contributing to software development projects, 2) IT management, where the individual mainly oversees technology strategies and their implementation, 3) cybersecurity, where the individual's responsibilities are associated with the protection of systems and data from cyber threats, and 4) data and AI engineering, where the individual works on machine learning applications and analyze and derive insights from large datasets.
What will help Senior Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
Kin Chung Kwan: Programming is the cornerstone of computer science. Solving problems effectively through proficient programming is a vital key to career success. Learning programming is like athletic training. One cannot become a skilled athlete solely through attending lectures. Programming skills can only be improved with consistent practice. Learning new techniques and repeated practice can help professionals refine their programming abilities and achieve career success.
Katie Horowitz
Associate Professor of Gender & Sexuality StudiesDavidson College
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Senior Development Consultant?
Katie Horowitz: With the rise of artificial intelligence, soft skills like interpersonal communication, conflict management, and critical thinking will become more important than ever before. These are assets that can’t be outsourced to AI, and they are fundamental to the work that Gender & Sexuality Studies majors do in college.
What Senior Development Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Katie Horowitz: Some research shows that women and members of marginalized racial groups are less likely to negotiate their salaries than their white male counterparts. When you get a job offer, don’t forgo the opportunity to advocate for a higher salary.
What will help Senior Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
Katie Horowitz: Don’t limit yourself. I’ve seen Gender & Sexuality Studies students land jobs in business consulting, nonprofit, medicine, law, and more. The beauty of this interdisciplinary field is that it intersects with virtually every sphere of human existence. You can bring your GSS skills to bear on any line of work that interests you.
Junping Sun Ph.D.
ProfessorNova Southeastern University
Computer Software And Media Applications
What Senior Development Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Junping Sun Ph.D.: Computer Science and its applications in various fields are very dynamic and constantly evolving, and anyone in the fields needs to prepare to be adaptive by lifelong learning.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Development Consultant?
Dr. Neil Eldin PhD, PE: Things don’t just happen. You must develop a career plan to maximize your salary potential when starting your career. Find the right employer for yourself. For example, if you are mobile and willing to travel, target employers with international projects. After working for a few years, you can request a transfer to an overseas assignment, and this will instantaneously almost double your salary. If you are not mobile and your circumstances do not allow your travel, seek employment with major corporations and seek positions that are done at the home office (e.g., estimating, procurement, and contracting).
What will help Senior Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Frank Mitropoulos Ph.D.: As we look toward the future of careers in Computer Applications, several skills stand out for their growing importance. These skills revolve around specific technologies that are expected to continue to grow and evolve. Technologies related to Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Data Science are quickly evolving and being applied across the technology sector. Cloud Computing: Given the widespread adoption of Cloud services, Cloud computing expertise is indispensable. Understanding how to leverage platforms like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud is crucial to developing scalable, efficient solutions that meet business needs. Artificial Intelligence: AI and Machine Learning are transforming the world. Skills in these areas to solve real-world problems will be even more critical in the future. Cybersecurity: Digital threats are becoming more sophisticated. Safeguarding data, networks, and systems will require encryption, intrusion detection, development, and regulation skills. Data Science: Skills in Data Science will be increasingly sought after as businesses embrace data-driven decision-making. Extracting meaningful insights from extensive datasets and effectively communicating these findings will be essential. Soft skills: Finally, soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and effective communication cannot be overlooked. Adapting, communicating, and leading will be essential for success.
MARLA KRAMER
Assistant Vice President of Marketing and CommunicationsWhat Senior Development Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
MARLA KRAMER: Computer Science, and IS in general, is a field that is constantly evolving. It is not enough to know what everybody else knows. Becoming a subject matter expert with deep knowledge is important to be successful in the long run. You have to pick your area of expertise carefully, keep yourself focused and educated in that specific area, and be prepared for a career of continuous learning.
Rebecca Allen
Mount St. Joseph University
Special Education And Teaching
What general advice would you give to a Senior Development Consultant?
Rebecca Allen: AI, for sure. I have heard it said that AI might not replace humans, rather humans who know how to use AI well may replace humans who don't.
Ahmed Temani
Senior InstructorUniversity of Richmond
Computer/Information Technology Administration And Management
What general advice would you give to a Senior Development Consultant?
Ahmed Temani: A lot of the buzz is about using chatbots to improve coding efficiency. However, there is a great need for systems level thinking and design as software is deployed across cloud and edge computing devices. Gaining more experience in systems design provides you with additional skills that complement whatever AI-based technology gets deployed.
What Senior Development Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nikyra Capson: Don't be afraid of being rejected. If they see a job they want, apply. Even if they don't think they'll get it, still apply. The worst thing that could happen is being told no. Not applying is an automatic no, so they might as well try.
Daniel Asamoah Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Interim ChairWright State University
Information Systems and Supply Chain Management Department
What skills stand out on Senior Development Consultant resumes?
Daniel Asamoah Ph.D.: Web Developer: JavaScript, HTML5, CSS, PHP, Python, APIs, Web user interface design.
Michael Munger
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director, PPE ProgramDuke University
Department of Political Science
What skills stand out on Senior Development Consultant 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 soft skills should all Senior Development Consultants possess?
Michael Munger: Working in groups. And that's hard to teach. The best teacher is experience. Often, students learn the most when their group fails or the other members don't pull their weight. The ability to work in unstructured environments and still achieve group success is a big part of many jobs. And Political Science teaches that.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Development Consultants?
Michael Munger: Political Science students should take at least one Computer Science class, be able to run a spreadsheet with skill, and be able to write crisp prose that gets to the point.
What skills will help Senior Development Consultants 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!
Travis Mandel Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Hawaii at Hilo
Department of Computer Science
What soft skills should all Senior Development Consultants possess?
Travis Mandel Ph.D.: Although computer science seems like a highly technical field, soft skills are really what differentiates software engineers. One of the most important qualities of any software engineer is explaining their code clearly at various levels of technical depth and explaining why certain design decisions were made. You could write code that does amazing things, but if that code consists of snippets you pasted from StackOverflow without really fully understanding them, it will be a huge headache for anyone who needs to come into the codebase later and maintain or update it.
Another one is asking the right questions. Imagine you are dropped into a huge codebase and asked to add a new feature (very common!). There's no time to understand everything that is going on, but on the other hand, you need to understand enough of the code to do your task effectively, which involves asking questions. A failure to ask questions will likely result in you wasting a huge amount of time working on something that is ultimately not useful, for instance, re-implementing a complex function that already exists somewhere in the codebase.
Christine Bakke
LecturerUniversity of Minnesota - Crookston
Math, Science & Technology Department
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Development Consultants?
Christine Bakke: In previous questions, I have used my own wording; however, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is the most accurate source for an answer to this question:
The median pay for ITM, MIS, & CIS (all listed together at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics):
$146,360 per year
$70.37 per hour
"Employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 11 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. These occupations are projected to add about 531,200 new jobs. Demand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security. "
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Development Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Christine Bakke: For many years remote tech support has been a growing field, but it was not the norm. Today, remote tech support and IT management have become crucial for daily operations. Remote work requires a solid IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, capable equipment, and quality software. The need for educated and experienced MIS / ITM / CIS will continue to increase.
Trends toward remote offices will become more acceptable and common; while some companies will return to the office en masse, others will allow more flexibility or become hybrid, and some will truly embrace the remote office. Use of remote tools such as Zoom will stay strong, as they provide global access at a huge cost benefit.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Development Consultants?
Christine Bakke: MIS is a technical business degree which is offered with slightly different emphasis depending on the school's home department. For example, if a business department houses the degree it is often referred to as MIS; however, when Information Technology or Computer Science departments house this degree, the program would be called Information Technology Management (ITM) or Computer Information Systems (CIS). Each university has the autonomy to offer variations based on their specializations. Even though the programs can differ slightly, in general students receiving any of these three degrees receive an education in three areas: technical, management/business, and soft skills. Note that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics directs queries for all three fields (ITM, MIS and CIS) to the same data page (see answer to question 3).
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Development Consultants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: Computing is ubiquitous, and with more industries moving to remote work, location is becoming less critical. If the internet reaches a place reliably, computing jobs can be located there.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Development Consultants in the next 5 years?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: Breadth and depth: Computing is becoming more like engineering; where the value of the product, its lifetime risks, costs, and benefits are more critical than just it's roll-out. So the engineering competencies that have always been a part of computing will become more central. Computing is also expanding; the role of data and the shift of once-research technologies (like machine learning) into production applications will continue to require computing graduates to broaden their base and continue as learners. This will cause shifts in what is considered 'fundamental' and the need for professionals to continue to hone and redevelop their technical skill sets.
Tyler Conklin
LecturerThe University of Arizona
Computer science Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Development Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Tyler Conklin: The impact of the pandemic on the job market is limited in computer science. We are lucky to be in a field where remote work was routine long before the pandemic. This isn't true of all software engineering jobs, but many can be done with only a computer and internet access. The biggest changes come in the interviewing process and how the actual work will occur. It may be a long time before new hires ever meet their coworkers face to face.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Development Consultants?
Tyler Conklin: A bachelor's degree in computer science will always help job prospects. I would consider it a great investment. However, some companies have made it clear that they are willing and happy to hire graduates of computer science boot camps. These are shorter courses aimed at teaching the student one specific technology or a very specific set of skills so that student can acquire a job in a certain subfield of software engineering. This is a much cheaper alternative than a traditional four-year degree. The tradeoff is less breadth of knowledge and more limited job options, and of course missing out on everything else that comes with a four-year degree. An even more efficient way to increase job prospects is to work on personal projects. Few things impress an interviewer more than a candidate showing off an application that he or she built on their own. What can show an interviewer that you can do the job better than a project demonstrating the required skills and knowledge?
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Development Consultants?
Tyler Conklin: Computer scientists and software engineers have been fortunate in seeing salaries continually increase in the field. Computer science student enrollment has continued to skyrocket, leading to a larger workforce, but it appears that demand continues to grow even faster.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Development Consultants?
J.P. Mellor: I'm sure the pandemic will have an enduring impact on all of us. Our students are certainly experiencing new challenges as they strive to learn during the pandemic. They are aquiring skills and competencies associated with working remotely and engaging while doing so. These are skills that students in past years did not attain.
What's a day at work look like for a Senior Development Consultant?
J.P. Mellor: I'm not sure that what our graduates do has changed at all. How they do it has changed somewhat. All of us are learning to connect and engage remotely. Whether they're a recent grad or a not so recent grad they all are learning new skills as a result of the impact of the pandemic.
What will help Senior Development Consultants increase their earning potential?
J.P. Mellor: Our graduates are particularly good at making positive progress even when the way forward is not clear, they don't know how to do what needs to be accomplished, and/or they've never done it before. This is a skill set requires a solid technical foundation and makes our graduates especially valuable.that is part
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Development Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Jared Onyango Oluoch Ph.D.: We are already seeing a lot of professionals working remotely. This trend will likely continue especially in domains such as software engineering. With this may also occur lack of social connections and team building that we have seen over the years with people working in offices or facilities.
How have salaries changed over time for Senior Development Consultants?
Jared Onyango Oluoch Ph.D.: I think salaries in academia especially in Computer Science and Engineering Technology are rising and are expected to given the demand of graduates in these areas.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Senior Development Consultants?
Jared Onyango Oluoch Ph.D.: In databases - various Oracle database certifications; in networking - Cisco CCNA; in cybersecurity CompTIA security. Engineering and engineering technology graduates will boost their earning potentially by getting the Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Janos Fustos Ph.D.
ProfessorMetropolitan State University of Denver
Department of Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics
What's a good job out of college for Senior Development Consultants?
Janos Fustos Ph.D.: I hope students are asking that question before they enroll in the first course at a college because otherwise, they would waste lot of time and money to work on a degree or a career path that does not fulfill their goals and personal interest. In that sense any job is a good job that somebody understands, feels that he/she is a good fit and can live up to the imposed challenges, and has the knowledge/skills to work in the field. There are interesting and self-fulfilling jobs to choose from. Certainly, it starts with the definition what a "good" means to an individual, what are the attributes of that definition: is that the professional area, is the salary, is it the challenging nature, is it more about the working environment and the people they can work with, is it the promotion options, the high impact etc. There are several lists available on the internet that provide recommendations and track the different aspects of job selection options for seekers.
What technical skills for a Senior Development Consultant stand out to employers?
Janos Fustos Ph.D.: These days - since we went to the home office - everybody is looking for solutions that gives more and better support to remote workers. Organizations are looking for options where they can connect back to the organizations'' networks to complete their work. But that means much more work for the IT folks to make that happen and do that safely and securely. That means they are looking for individuals with technical skills that are in or closely related fields: security engineers and analysts, business analysts, data administrators, cloud service operators, network specialists etc.
Also, employers are looking for more experienced professional who can hit the ground running because their needs are more pressing and immediate, so they do not have too much time for training and education. But they are also looking for trainers to better educate users about their working environments and the changing working conditions. Users have to rely a bit more on these trainings because they cannot enjoy the immediate and direct IT support in their homes. In addition to that (or to extend that) helpdesk people are also in high demand who have the technical and also the people's skills to troubleshoot the problems that occur in highly uncertain and diverse environments.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Development Consultants?
Janos Fustos Ph.D.: I think the impact will not be that much on the graduates but on the environment where they start their professional career and how they have completed their studies.
This pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives - among others how we work (or stat to work) and how we learn. Being in higher education I can definitely see both. The home office became the standard working environment with all the advantages and several disadvantages. You do not have to go/travel to your corporate office, you may be available even at odd hours to work, some find the home environment more relaxing, there are less formalities, some might communicate easier in writing or from behind a turned-off camera, they could take advantage of personal schedule and individual peek times, more control over their schedules etc.
But even as you work at home you may experience more disruption, you are more available for personal/family affairs, you may not have that much opportunity to interact with colleagues and miss opportunities for meaningful discussions for extending your knowledge base, networking, you have to deal with technical issues on your own or less support etc.
Some similar issues can be mentioned when it comes to changes in the way we participate in education. Most of the class meetings are online with limited individual interaction and/or access to teachers, less direct interaction with classmates, technical challenges, home office setup challenges etc. All these together impact students/graduates differently: some take these as an advantage while some others are impacted more by the disadvantages. But whichever we look at that I think there is a definite impact of the pandemic on all of us and while we have already spent about 10-12 month in this "splendid isolation" and survived more or less so far, we do not know if it may have more enduring or serious impact on our lives - that needs to be seen from a much longer perspective.
Christian Hansen Ph.D.
Professor and Department ChairEastern Washington University
Department of Mathematics
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Development Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: Within the short-term, the biggest trend in the job market is currently an increased demand for workforce in the healthcare and technology disciplines. In the long-term, healthcare will remain in demand, but I predict the highest future increase will be in the areas of data science, software and computer engineering.
What soft skills should all Senior Development Consultants possess?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: The soft skills that all graduates should possess include strong communication and teamwork skills regardless of the discipline. Analytical skills will be in high demand, as well as the ability to adapt and learn new technology. Data will continue to play a bigger role in almost any type of business; therefore, the ability to analyze and interpret data for decision making will be increasingly critical. Many jobs in the future are jobs that do not yet exist and as a result, new graduates must have the ability to adapt.
What's a day at work look like for a Senior Development Consultant?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: In the post-pandemic era, a typical workday for a recent graduate will likely involve some form of remote work. I predict that many businesses will benefit from the reduced cost of remote infrastructure compared to the cost of maintaining brick and mortar office space. Many new graduates will continue to spend their day on a computer while collaborating in teams via Zoom and other teleconference tools. People working in disciplines that have traditionally been "on the ground" will move towards more hybrid modes of work, reducing the need for travel and participating in face-to-face meetings and training.