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The differences between software consultants and senior consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a software consultant and a senior consultant. Additionally, a senior consultant has an average salary of $100,188, which is higher than the $88,605 average annual salary of a software consultant.
The top three skills for a software consultant include web application, database and java. The most important skills for a senior consultant are healthcare, project management, and java.
| Software Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $88,605 | $100,188 |
| Hourly rate | $42.60 | $48.17 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 275,746 | 241,206 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software consultant is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the technological content and system applications of an organization, ensuring its efficiency and optimal performance. Software consultants design software systems, following clients' specifications and business needs. They must have excellent knowledge of the technology systems, programming languages, and system codes to create software processes and manage the network systems. A software consultant runs multiple diagnostic tests and creates troubleshooting reports for technical support reference.
Senior consultants are individual contributors whose services are tapped by the organization for guidance on specific projects. They are experienced experts in a particular field that the company operates in or would like to have projects in. They are given primers on specific projects, and they comment on the feasibility of the undertaking. Once the task is deemed feasible, senior consultants act as guides throughout the project's planning and initial implementation stages. They provide their expert opinion to ensure the success of the project.
Software consultants and senior consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Average salary | $88,605 | $100,188 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $115,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Silver Peak | Conning |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software consultant and a senior consultant in terms of educational background:
| Software Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between software consultants' and senior consultants' demographics:
| Software Consultant | Senior Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% | Male, 69.9% Female, 30.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |