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The differences between subject matter experts and 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 subject matter expert and a consultant. Additionally, a subject matter expert has an average salary of $103,749, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for a subject matter expert include SME, project management and DOD. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Subject Matter Expert | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $103,749 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $49.88 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 58,235 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A subject matter expert is someone who has special knowledge and expertise about a specific process or service, providing advice to other team members or directly assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns. Subject matter experts coordinate on planning strategic procedures to improve the work processes and ensure customer satisfaction. They are also active in participating in learning programs and training sessions to share their knowledge and best practices for their specialization. Subject matter experts identify potential business opportunities to generate more revenues for the business and achieve its profitability goals.
Consultants are individuals who were tapped by a company or an organization to work on a specific activity, depending on their field of expertise. They act as guides for the organization in undertaking projects that are related to their field. Consultants would usually assist organizations in planning, often giving advice when the need arises. They would, at times, take the lead in activities that involve data gathering and interpretation of data gathering results so that they can provide solid recommendations on actions that the organization may undertake. They may also guide the organization in implementing any changes brought about by their consultancy and in evaluating the effectiveness of the changes.
Subject matter experts and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Subject Matter Expert | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $103,749 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $146,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a subject matter expert and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Subject Matter Expert | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between subject matter experts' and consultants' demographics:
| Subject Matter Expert | Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.1% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |