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The differences between technical consultants and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, which is higher than the $89,290 average annual salary of a technical consultant.
The top three skills for a technical consultant include java, database and customer service. The most important skills for a project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Technical Consultant | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $89,290 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $42.93 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 173,374 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| 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.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Technical consultants and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Consultant | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $89,290 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $118,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical consultant and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Technical Consultant | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between technical consultants' and project managers' demographics:
| Technical Consultant | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 43 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |