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The differences between subject matter experts 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 subject matter expert and a senior consultant. Additionally, a subject matter expert has an average salary of $103,749, which is higher than the $100,188 average annual salary of a senior consultant.
The top three skills for a subject matter expert include SME, project management and DOD. The most important skills for a senior consultant are healthcare, project management, and java.
| Subject Matter Expert | Senior Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $103,749 | $100,188 |
| Hourly rate | $49.88 | $48.17 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 58,235 | 241,206 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
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.
Subject matter experts and senior consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Subject Matter Expert | Senior Consultant | |
| Average salary | $103,749 | $100,188 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $146,000 | Between $76,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | Conning |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a subject matter expert and a senior consultant in terms of educational background:
| Subject Matter Expert | Senior Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between subject matter experts' and senior consultants' demographics:
| Subject Matter Expert | Senior Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2% | Male, 69.9% Female, 30.1% |
| 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, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |