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The differences between solutions engineers and solutions consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a solutions engineer, becoming a solutions consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a solutions engineer has an average salary of $95,482, which is higher than the $94,839 average annual salary of a solutions consultant.
The top three skills for a solutions engineer include cloud, pre sales and java. The most important skills for a solutions consultant are pre sales, sales process, and cloud.
| Solutions Engineer | Solutions Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $95,482 | $94,839 |
| Hourly rate | $45.90 | $45.60 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 123,287 | 103,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A solutions engineer is an individual who assists customers in identifying their computer software needs and generates customized business software solutions for them. Solutions engineers collaborate with other department engineers to create practical demonstrations of proposed solutions and showcase them to the other members of the team. They are required to test the installed software and fix programming bugs that create errors with the system. Solutions engineers also maintain customer relations by providing post-installation follow-ups.
A solutions consultant is an individual who has an in-depth knowledge of technology that can help a company to overcome issues, increase sales, and have a better connection with their customers. Solutions consultants are responsible for heading the installment of customized software solutions and train dealers and customer sales engineers to administer the customized solution. They represent the company by attending tradeshows and events to demonstrate their company's technology. Solutions consultants must also ensure to demonstrate technical feasibility through beta tests plus trial programs.
Solutions engineers and solutions consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solutions Engineer | Solutions Consultant | |
| Average salary | $95,482 | $94,839 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $134,000 | Between $68,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ByteDance | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a solutions engineer and a solutions consultant in terms of educational background:
| Solutions Engineer | Solutions Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between solutions engineers' and solutions consultants' demographics:
| Solutions Engineer | Solutions Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.4% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 10.8% White, 74.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 13.6% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 12% |