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The differences between systems managers and systems consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a systems manager, becoming a systems consultant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a systems manager has an average salary of $107,156, which is higher than the $99,659 average annual salary of a systems consultant.
The top three skills for a systems manager include customer service, project management and patients. The most important skills for a systems consultant are infrastructure, project management, and C++.
| Systems Manager | Systems Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $107,156 | $99,659 |
| Hourly rate | $51.52 | $47.91 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 145,551 | 134,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A systems manager is responsible for monitoring the operations of the information technology department, evaluating staff performance, developing strategic procedures to maximize productivity, and identifying business opportunities that would generate more revenues and profitability for the company. Systems managers inspect company networks to ensure the efficiency of the technology systems, conducting regular diagnostic tests, and installing upgrades to boost optimization. A systems manager must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command in programming languages and system codes to maintain the security of the company's database.
A systems consultant is responsible for advising on the design, plan, and installation of information technology systems for clients. You will analyze data of an organization, determine the requirements of an information system, and define project objectives. Other duties include providing recommendations on the appropriate software, hardware, and systems, designing and installing new software, and organizing and conducting training for end-users. You will also be responsible for preparing test plans and test scripts needed for system testing.
Systems managers and systems consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Manager | Systems Consultant | |
| Average salary | $107,156 | $99,659 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $152,000 | Between $74,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Internet |
There are a few differences between a systems manager and a systems consultant in terms of educational background:
| Systems Manager | Systems Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between systems managers' and systems consultants' demographics:
| Systems Manager | Systems Consultant | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 14.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |