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Senior project manager vs consultant/project manager

The differences between senior project managers and consultant/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior project manager has an average salary of $110,947, which is higher than the $100,754 average annual salary of a consultant/project manager.

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

Senior project manager vs consultant/project manager overview

Senior Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Yearly salary$110,947$100,754
Hourly rate$53.34$48.44
Growth rate16%11%
Number of jobs183,210213,963
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

What does a senior project manager do?

Senior project managers are experienced employees assigned to oversee a specific project in the organization. They manage the project from conception to execution. They are onboard the project from the ideation phase, providing valuable insights to ensure the success of the project. Senior project managers are also in charge of managing the budget, ensuring that the expected timelines are followed, adjusting strategies when needed, and guiding project team members. It is important for senior project managers to be good leaders and communicators. They should be able to balance the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the project. They should have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.

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.

Senior project manager vs consultant/project manager salary

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

Senior Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Average salary$110,947$100,754
Salary rangeBetween $82,000 And $148,000Between $74,000 And $136,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAHartford, CT
Highest paying stateCaliforniaConnecticut
Best paying companyRokuMicrosoft
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between senior project manager and consultant/project manager education

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

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

Senior project manager vs consultant/project manager demographics

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

Senior Project ManagerConsultant/Project Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 71.4% Female, 28.6%Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% 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 senior project manager and consultant/project manager duties and responsibilities

Senior project manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead a cloud base property management project.
  • Manage all financial interfaces to existing PeopleSoft applications from design to delivery.
  • Lead implementation of JIRA and numerous project/program delivery improvements in order efficiently deliver concurrent application releases.
  • Manage client relationships and perform necessary functions to build and deliver private/secure CRM applications and email accounts.
  • Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
  • Establish project scope with customer and manage implementation of proprietary Linux /Ubuntu software to ensure on-time delivery with high quality.
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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.
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Senior project manager vs consultant/project manager skills

Common senior project manager skills
  • Project Management, 17%
  • Program Management, 6%
  • Portfolio, 5%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Project Scope, 4%
  • Business Development, 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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