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The differences between small business consultants and business account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a small business consultant, becoming a business account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a business account manager has an average salary of $68,498, which is higher than the $47,982 average annual salary of a small business consultant.
The top three skills for a small business consultant include customer service, business clients and outbound calls. The most important skills for a business account manager are customer service, product knowledge, and account management.
| Small Business Consultant | Business Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $47,982 | $68,498 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $32.93 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 116,476 | 212,532 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
A small business consultant specializes in developing and recommending strategies to optimize the daily operations of small businesses. They typically meet with clients to identify their needs and preferences, determine their short and long-term goals, perform market research and analysis to find business or client opportunities, determine the strengths and weaknesses of current processes, and implement solutions against problem areas. They may also conduct risk assessments and help address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, a small business consultant must devise a plan to implement the establishment's policies and regulations, suggesting new ones as needed.
Business Account Managers are experienced employees who manage client accounts. Companies usually employ them as distributors, retailers, manufacturers, or any other company with various business partnerships or dealings. They are in charge of managing the company's relationship with a specific client or group. They are the point of contact for these clients regarding requests or concerns related to company products or services. Business account managers ensure that the clients' concerns are properly addressed. They also ensure client loyalty and build harmonious working relationships with their assigned clients.
Small business consultants and business account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Small Business Consultant | Business Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $47,982 | $68,498 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $66,000 | Between $44,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a small business consultant and a business account manager in terms of educational background:
| Small Business Consultant | Business Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between small business consultants' and business account managers' demographics:
| Small Business Consultant | Business Account Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.0% Female, 41.0% | Male, 55.8% Female, 44.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 9.7% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |