Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between technical consultants and contractor/consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a technical consultant has an average salary of $89,290, which is higher than the $84,811 average annual salary of a contractor/consultant.
The top three skills for a technical consultant include java, database and customer service. The most important skills for a contractor/consultant are healthcare, post implementation, and data analysis.
| Technical Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $89,290 | $84,811 |
| Hourly rate | $42.93 | $40.77 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 173,374 | 64,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A technical consultant is an individual who provides technical support and performs troubleshooting functions for the company's product or application. A consultant should be highly knowledgeable about the product or application so that he/she can assist users and clients with whatever issues they may be facing. A bachelor's degree is required to work as a technical consultant, particularly a degree in Computer Science or Engineering. Also, a consultant should conduct training sessions and therefore, must possess excellent communication skills.
A contractor is a self-employed businessperson who agrees to work for a fixed price. His/her job involves the evaluation of clients' needs and actual performance of work. On the other hand, a consultant is a skilled independent businessperson who provides expert teaching and training in a specific market by assisting existing staff for the improvement of operations, problem-solving, and development of strategies. His/her role is to assess clients' needs and provide expert advice and opinion. However, both individuals are not employees, since they came from outside of the organization to perform such services.
Technical consultants and contractor/consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Average salary | $89,290 | $84,811 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $118,000 | Between $58,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman | Cerner |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical consultant and a contractor/consultant in terms of educational background:
| Technical Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between technical consultants' and contractor/consultants' demographics:
| Technical Consultant | Contractor/Consultant | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.3% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |