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The differences between software consultants and software engineers-consultant 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 software engineer-consultant. Additionally, a software engineer-consultant has an average salary of $113,987, 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 software engineer-consultant are java, python, and architecture.
| Software Consultant | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $88,605 | $113,987 |
| Hourly rate | $42.60 | $54.80 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 275,746 | 317,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| 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.
A software engineer consultant develops and recommends strategies to optimize a company's software engineering operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to find new opportunities, performing software evaluations and risk assessments, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of existing processes, and developing solutions against problem areas. Through the findings of their research, a software engineer consultant draws conclusions and recommendations that will help the company to reach their short and long-term goals and resolve issues or concerns.
Software consultants and software engineers-consultant have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Consultant | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Average salary | $88,605 | $113,987 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $115,000 | Between $85,000 And $152,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Foster City, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Silver Peak | Advent Software |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a software consultant and a software engineer-consultant in terms of educational background:
| Software Consultant | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between software consultants' and software engineers-consultant' demographics:
| Software Consultant | Software Engineer-Consultant | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| 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, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |