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Job outlook for technical consultants in the United States
Technical consultant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected technical consultant job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 56,000 new jobs for technical consultants are projected over the next decade.
Technical consultant salaries have increased 8% for technical consultants in the last 5 years.
There are over 393,713 technical consultants currently employed in the United States.
There are 173,374 active technical consultant job openings in the US.
The average technical consultant salary is $89,290.
Are technical consultant jobs in demand?
Technical consultant job and salary trends over time
Technical consultant jobs over time
Technical consultant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 393,713 | 0.12% |
| 2020 | 432,479 | 0.13% |
| 2019 | 346,473 | 0.10% |
| 2018 | 373,832 | 0.11% |
| 2017 | 364,289 | 0.11% |
Average technical consultant salary over time
Technical consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,290 | $42.93 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $86,348 | $41.51 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $84,393 | $40.57 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $83,946 | $40.36 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $82,947 | $39.88 | +1.7% |
Technical consultant jobs by state
Most common states for technical consultants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 739 | 106% |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 429 | 40% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 300 | 34% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,798 | 32% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 199 | 32% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,072 | 30% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 913 | 29% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 553 | 29% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 391 | 29% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 218 | 29% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 267 | 28% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,304 | 27% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,113 | 27% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,343 | 26% |
| 15 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,638 | 26% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,177 | 25% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 266 | 25% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,344 | 24% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 875 | 24% |
| 20 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 708 | 24% |
Most common cities for technical consultants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 27 | 68% | $95,530 |
| 2 | Frankfort | 10 | 36% | $81,398 |
| 3 | Juneau | 9 | 28% | $91,465 |
| 4 | Lansing | 28 | 24% | $85,400 |
| 5 | Dover | 9 | 24% | $87,341 |
| 6 | Hartford | 12 | 10% | $90,775 |
| 7 | Topeka | 9 | 7% | $76,711 |
| 8 | Baton Rouge | 13 | 6% | $79,167 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 24 | 5% | $84,639 |
| 10 | Tallahassee | 9 | 5% | $82,573 |
| 11 | Saint Paul | 12 | 4% | $86,322 |
| 12 | Des Moines | 9 | 4% | $80,066 |
| 13 | Montgomery | 9 | 4% | $76,468 |
| 14 | Boston | 16 | 2% | $92,920 |
| 15 | Indianapolis | 13 | 2% | $81,356 |
| 16 | Sacramento | 11 | 2% | $116,632 |
| 17 | Phoenix | 12 | 1% | $86,970 |
| 18 | Chicago | 10 | 0% | $85,704 |
Technical Consultant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of technical consultant experts
Davidson College
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Duke University
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Arizona State University
Eastern Washington University
University of Arizona
Drake University
Bakersfield College
Portland State University
University of New Hampshire
Pennsylvania State University - Great Valley
Colby-Sawyer College
Lorain County Community College
American Association of Cosmetology Schools
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
American Defence Group
Western Kentucky University
What general advice would you give to a Technical Consultant?
Kevin Jetton: Now referred to simply as Information Systems or Enterprise Systems, they are the mission-critical applications that run the enterprise and used to provide information, processes, data and outcomes to all parties such as internal employees, customers and partners/suppliers. Example such systems are all the Financial Applications (Accounts Payable/Receivable, General Ledger, Payroll, Human Resources, Fixed Assets, Budgeting and more), Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management, Manufacturing, Enterprise Resource Management, Order/Service Fulfillment and more. What do individuals do on a daily basis? Depends on the individual's role in the overall process: Unit Managers/Users: Part of a project team to analyze/design/test/train/implement new or modified systems for their unit. IT Professionals: Project Management, Systems Analysts, Enterprise Architects to design solutions, Database and Security experts, Application Developers/Programmers, Testing and Training Teams, Data conversion specialists, Scheduling and Implementation teams.
Katie Horowitz
Associate Professor of Gender & Sexuality StudiesDavidson College
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Technical Consultant?
Katie Horowitz: With the rise of artificial intelligence, soft skills like interpersonal communication, conflict management, and critical thinking will become more important than ever before. These are assets that can’t be outsourced to AI, and they are fundamental to the work that Gender & Sexuality Studies majors do in college.
What Technical Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Katie Horowitz: Some research shows that women and members of marginalized racial groups are less likely to negotiate their salaries than their white male counterparts. When you get a job offer, don’t forgo the opportunity to advocate for a higher salary.
What will help Technical Consultants increase their earning potential?
Katie Horowitz: Don’t limit yourself. I’ve seen Gender & Sexuality Studies students land jobs in business consulting, nonprofit, medicine, law, and more. The beauty of this interdisciplinary field is that it intersects with virtually every sphere of human existence. You can bring your GSS skills to bear on any line of work that interests you.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Consultant?
Dr. Neil Eldin PhD, PE: Things don’t just happen. You must develop a career plan to maximize your salary potential when starting your career. Find the right employer for yourself. For example, if you are mobile and willing to travel, target employers with international projects. After working for a few years, you can request a transfer to an overseas assignment, and this will instantaneously almost double your salary. If you are not mobile and your circumstances do not allow your travel, seek employment with major corporations and seek positions that are done at the home office (e.g., estimating, procurement, and contracting).
What Technical Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Neil Eldin PhD, PE: Start on the right foot!! Start your career with the attitude that you need to give your job serious attention to build your technical skills, your people skills, and to establish a good name for yourself in the industry. Make sure you become known as a smart, hardworking person with high morals. Your technical skills will contribute half of your success. The other half you will get from learning how to sell your services. Focus on what the employers’ interests are. Explain how you can contribute to what is important to them. If you do not have what is important to them, go develop such skills.
What will help Technical Consultants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Neil Eldin PhD, PE: Technology has always been a game changer and those who are good at it position themselves in high demands. Keeping up with the new technologies related to whatever your specialty is will help you tremendously. AI looks like the future’s big thing, and I believe it is here to stay. Developing skills in this field will be highly recommended.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Consultant?
Mark Whalen P.E.: A system engineer designs, develops, and manages complex technical systems across a large variety of industries. This can include defining solutions to system-level problems, plus allocating requirements, technologies and team member tasking at a project level, as well as communicating complex ideas and systems to key stakeholders.
An entry-level system engineer will typically apply advanced mathematical techniques to solve system-level technical problems, as well as installing, testing, and troubleshooting complex operating systems
What Technical Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Whalen P.E.: Many system engineers enjoy working across all technologies at a higher organizational level, and interacting with all types of technologists to manage and implement complex technical systems.
Many system engineers can feel challenged by their lack of depth of understanding of particular technologies compared to technical specialists.
Michael Munger
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director, PPE ProgramDuke University
Department of Political Science
What skills stand out on Technical Consultant resumes?
Michael Munger: Political science is an ancient career synergy, one that explores the connections between ethical considerations and engineering policy that works. Someone who majors in Political Science is able to make arguments about the questions that have plagued philosophers for thousands of years while using the latest data techniques to scrape online sources of information on social media. So political science instructors have to combine ethics, knowledge of esoteric procedures and laws, and statistics!
What soft skills should all Technical Consultants possess?
Michael Munger: Working in groups. And that's hard to teach. The best teacher is experience. Often, students learn the most when their group fails or the other members don't pull their weight. The ability to work in unstructured environments and still achieve group success is a big part of many jobs. And Political Science teaches that.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Technical Consultants?
Michael Munger: Political Science students should take at least one Computer Science class, be able to run a spreadsheet with skill, and be able to write crisp prose that gets to the point.
What skills will help Technical Consultants earn the most?
Michael Munger: The ability to lead a group by example and to get other people to feel that they are part of something larger than themselves. At its best, Political Science is like an entire little liberal arts curriculum. It's the perfect preparation for leadership, either in government or the private sector!
Lindsey Clark
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Department of Laboratory Sciences
What skills will help Technical Consultants earn the most?
Lindsey Clark: Specializing in one or two lab areas can help professionals move into roles such as a lead scientist or department supervisor. However, obtaining a bachelor's degree and honing lab skills will open up the most opportunities for advancement in the clinical laboratory. Those with a bachelor's degree can serve as general supervisors, technical supervisors, technical consultants, or even laboratory directors in some labs.
Robert Rucker
LecturerArizona State University
School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering
What hard/technical skills are most important for Technical Consultants?
Robert Rucker: From step 2, knowing a particular technology very well may not match the employer's needs, so there is a real need to articulate principles (the hard part of education). For example:
1. Need to know how to design and implement ( or contribute to) a 'principled' information base (this is a skill my students encounter routinely)
a. Designing an information system requires knowing multiple levels of analysis and synthesis
- I teach the undergrad and graduate levels of database
( I have been teaching' conceptual level modeling --- using Object role modeling ( this is a layer above ER and relational, and has been underappreciated IMO
b. relational level analysis using SQL
implementational level using T-SQL
c. NoSQL using Couchbase and SQL++ and hence the key-value mode of storage
implementation ( SQL + NoSQL seem essential in this world of federated databases !)
d. Of course, there is the underlying substrate of approaching an info task in the first place!
2. For what it's worth, I also teach big data. Again, finding (understanding) and exemplifying the principles underlying the algorithms and data development is crucial.
Christian Hansen Ph.D.
Professor and Department ChairEastern Washington University
Department of Mathematics
What's a day at work look like for a Technical Consultant?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: In the post-pandemic era, a typical workday for a recent graduate will likely involve some form of remote work. I predict that many businesses will benefit from the reduced cost of remote infrastructure compared to the cost of maintaining brick and mortar office space. Many new graduates will continue to spend their day on a computer while collaborating in teams via Zoom and other teleconference tools. People working in disciplines that have traditionally been "on the ground" will move towards more hybrid modes of work, reducing the need for travel and participating in face-to-face meetings and training.
Melody Buckner Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost | Digital Learning and Online Initiatives, Assistant Professor of PracticeUniversity of Arizona
Digital Learning
What technical skills for a Technical Consultant stand out to employers?
Melody Buckner Ph.D.: The ability to communicate via technology will be essential in the workplace. Employees will be required to navigate virtual environments, networks, privacy and security issues. Digital literacy should become digital fluency. We need to go beyond be familiar with digital skills and become comfortable or entrenched in these skills. Example: don't just drive the car but know how the car is made and be able to fix it.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Consultant?
Alanah Mitchell Ph.D.: I recommend students work on developing a portfolio of technology knowledge, skills, and tools. Early project and internship experiences can also be very helpful in finding the first career opportunity after graduation.
What Technical Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alanah Mitchell Ph.D.: Expertise in the area of AI is of great interest right now as well as other technical areas (e.g., analytics, cybersecurity, technology consulting, the metaverse, and more). Of course, I always recommend students focus on developing their adaptability and ability to learn new technical subjects, critical thinking and analytical skills, collaboration skills and the ability to work in a team, project management and detail-oriented skills, and written and oral communication abilities.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Consultant?
Maryam Farahani: Thinking about the fields they want to experience or try. And to be intentional about their job search. The best advice is learning as much as they can about what company offers. Visualizing themselves in the next 5 years as a starting point. Do they want to travel a lot, or be in management positions? Do they want to be subject matter expert, or a hands-on engineer or technologist? Their goal may change as they progress in their career but having one makes a big difference in their career choices and keeping them on track.
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.
Professor and Systems Science Program ChairPortland State University
Systems science program
What Technical Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.: For analyst positions, I think that employers want to hire people with strong data analysis skills, which, of course, includes statistics, but also big data, machine learning (algorithms), computer-based modeling, and programming. And, in addition to these apparently rather specialized skills, there is growing recognition that a talent for thinking, communicating, and problem-solving in a very general sense, and being able to cope with/address complexity, is also quite important.
Marc Lessard
ProfessorUniversity of New Hampshire
Physics and Astronomy Department and Space Science Center
What experience really stands out on Technical Consultant resumes?
Marc Lessard: Students who have been significantly involved in research projects have a distinct advantage over those who haven't. Those who began such work (which is typically paid) as sophomores or juniors often will have played a significant role in these real-world research efforts, which can be very different than what might be tackled as part of a capstone project.
Written and oral presentation skills are also essential!
What experience really stands out on Technical Consultant resumes?
Nil Ergin Ph.D.: Knowledge of analytical skills, methods, and tools for analysis, design, and management of complex systems and experience working with interdisciplinary teams are essential for systems engineering professionals. Experience in applying systems thinking and design thinking approaches to understanding organization, technical, and non-technical factors that influence the design and performance of complex systems stands out on resumes.
What type of skills will young Technical Consultants need?
Hilary Walrod: Creative problem-solving, collaboration, and communication have always been essential skill sets, and they look to be increasingly important now and shortly. By applying these skill sets, fine arts graduates will be well-equipped to contribute to various professional settings. Developing the wherewithal to learn new skills and the latest best practices can enable graduates to situate themselves for adaptation and growth.
How do you envision technology impacting Technical Consultants in the next 5 years?
Hilary Walrod: I envision that continual technological development - and widespread use of digital technology - will yield increasing opportunities to apply art and design skills in the field of interactive design.
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator for Communication StudiesLorain County Community College
Arts & Humanities Division
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.: I think that many employees will continue to work from home post-pandemic. During COVID-19, people worked effectively at home, and in many instances, were more productive than when they were physically at the office. Employers will likely consider if they should pay for office space when their employees can do their jobs at home. If the traditional office space does become obsolete, employees will have to reimagine their home offices to promote a professional environment for digital platforms. They'll also have to work harder at making connections with others. High tech requires high touch. In other words, when we rely on computer-mediated communication, we need to interact more to establish relationships. Improving and maintaining digital communication skills will be essential as employees navigate their post-pandemic careers.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Technical Consultants in the next 3-5 years?
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.: I think we'll continue to use digital platforms such as Zoom, WebEx, and Teams. We'll likely see improved options in these platforms, such as enhanced breakout rooms, better file-sharing capabilities, and synchronous document creation/editing. If we continue to work from home, these platforms will also need to do well on smartphones.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Technical Consultants in the next 5 years?
Tammy Bosley Ph.D.: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that communication jobs would increase at the same rate as other professions. Communication is a general degree. Students who major in the discipline usually choose a specialty such as public relations, health communication, international communication, etc. to navigate employment opportunities successfully. Given the challenges everyone is facing in today's culture, communication graduates will be essential to meet the demands of a post COVID society.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Technical Consultants to find work opportunities?
Anthony Civitano: Beauty is a worldwide necessity. Our graduates will always be in demand and never have their career of choice outsourced. Covid-19 has proven that Beauty professionals ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS! We change people's lives by making them feel better about themselves, which has a fantastic effect on people.
How do you envision technology impacting Technical Consultants in the next 5 years?
Anthony Civitano: Education will be the largest affected. For many years the schools have wanted to have the ability to have distance education, or a hybrid at least, to teach our courses. The shut down of schools forced States Education Departments, US Department of Education, and Accreditors to allow Distance Education for our programs. It has exceeded our expectations and is being proven to be an effective means of delivering a large part of our programs.
What type of skills will young Technical Consultants need?
Anthony Civitano: #1 is soft skills; younger generations are less and less equipped with these essential skills. Corona-19 will undoubtedly have an impact as social distancing has become the necessary norm, inhibiting person-to-person interaction. #2 Basic financial literacy and life/work balance. #3 The technical skills evolve over the years, and our schools stay connected with the industry's pulse and adjust their curriculum accordingly.
Dr. Anthony Stanowski
President & CEOCommission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
What type of skills will young Technical Consultants need?
Dr. Anthony Stanowski: To be successful, graduates of healthcare management programs need to bring to market the following: skills and character.
In terms of skills, they need to have strong technical and analytical skills, especially at the start of their career. These skills will morph over a job to encompass an interpretation of the data to lead others to action. And that is where communication skills and project management capabilities come in.
Indeed, young graduates need to understand the healthcare system, how it has changed, and why it has changed. This knowledge needs to be deeper than the sound bites heard on the news or from pundits. They need a foundational understanding of the key subjects taught in class.
Most importantly, they need to develop character. Note that I say develope, because some believe character is innate. They can be learned, and they must be exercised. Character includes the ability to approach work in new and breakthrough ways, innovate, and transform. They have to lead by having a strong sense of empathy by understanding that you show only when you help others succeed. They have to do whatever it takes to make things better, which means more than a 9 to 5 job. If you want a 9 to 5 job, there are better places to go than healthcare management.
Those are among the skills and characterize young graduates need. For more, I would suggest taking a look at the competencies for leadership as developed by organizations such as the National Center for Healthcare Leadership https://www.nchl.org/page?page=272, the American College of Healthcare Executives https://www.ache.org/about-ache/resources-and-links/healthcare-leadership-competencies, the International Hospital Federation https://www.ihf-fih.org/resources/pdf/Leadership_Competencies_for_Healthcare_Services_Managers.pdf, Saint Louis University https://www.slu.edu/public-health-social-justice/pdfs/slu_mha_competencymodel_reviewedfall2016.pdf the National Association for Healthcare Quality https://nahq.org/education/nahq-healthcare-quality-competency-framework/, and many others. When evaluating a program to attend, ask about the competency model, they use to develop their curriculum. Does that competency model match what you want to learn? If the program does not know what a competency model is, politely thank them and go elsewhere.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Technical Consultants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Anthony Stanowski: Yes, the right places to look at are the places where you think you can make a difference. Where is your passion? Is it in inner-city areas, struggling to meet the needs of the poor and disenfranchised? Is it in rural areas where the challenges are how to knit together limited resources to provide to communities that are spread out to meet critical healthcare needs? Is it in sizeable academic health systems where the challenge lies in forming internal and external constituencies' coalitions to succeed?
Is it in integrated delivery systems that are national in scope, working to transform healthcare by knitting together insurance, pharmaceuticals, and patient care but are struggling against regulatory roadblocks and the established ways of doing things? Is your passion in the growing informatics sector, where you can help organizations use data more accurately? Is it in telemedicine? Health policy? Physician practice management? Know yourself and what you believe in. Work to make a difference. Healthcare is the noblest of fields, and I hope that people choosing to enter healthcare stay faithful to its calling.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Consultants?
Dr. Anthony Stanowski: Many projections show that the impact of COVID-19 will continue into 2022, even with a vaccine and therapeutics. The "new normal" will not return to 2019 but will incorporate technology and management methods developed to adjust to unforeseen challenges. The pandemic has made us all aware of the importance of healthcare delivery and the need to have dedicated people working to ensure our community's health. Healthcare executives will need to have critical competencies to succeed, including leadership, innovation, and a core understanding of healthcare delivery methods. Those entering the profession must rise to the challenge and accept that something will work, and others will not. They will need to be comfortable at a higher level of uncertainty than ever.
What type of skills will young Technical Consultants need?
Randy Shearer: Business fundamentals; critical thinking skills; comfortable in the digital space; cost principles is a plus; general accounting.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Technical Consultants to find work opportunities?
Randy Shearer: The Federal Government will hire you quickly, train you, and give you increased responsibilities and rapid advancement. If you want to lay down core buying fundamentals - the federal government does that - beginning from day one.
What experience really stands out on Technical Consultant resumes?
Kara Glenn: Results. Prove the impact your work made on a project.
What Technical Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kara Glenn: Focus on the digital sphere. Learn more about SEO, Paid Social Media Advertising, AdWords, Head mapping, and user experience.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Technical Consultants in the next 3-5 years?
Kara Glenn: Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality has a lot of practical applications for our industry. Using a phone to see the real-world environment with enhanced computer-generated visuals will allow users to test lipstick colors, try on sunglasses, and even see what furniture would look like in their home. - The technology is ready; we have to start using it.