What does a technical consultant do?

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.
Technical consultant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real technical consultant resumes:
- Develop several Unix scripts to automate routine operating system and application maintenance tasks.
- Lead design, development and implementation of business intelligence and ETL solutions for client organizations.
- Collaborate with developers, technical leads and management to develop technical standards for PL/SQL coding and documentation.
- Create and manage several SharePoint team sites to host, communicate and collaborate about project information and documentation.
- Provide emergency support to internal/external customers requiring the ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and rapidly troubleshoot complex applications.
- Extract, clean and validate from XML file into database using SSIS task (XML source).
- Create a website for a class project and later for personal use by using HTML, CSS and PHP.
- Develop database installation and administration plan - PL/SQL.
- Participate in vendor qualification/selection process and provide technical support to testing teams and development group on Java application deployments.
- Provide the technical leadership to implement ESX, maintain, develop and upgrade the VmWare environment.
- Create XML files, execute unit test plans, which includes integrate, performance and systems testing.
- Develop scripts, using oracle API's, to update data prior appraisals to coincide with new requirements.
- Create internal sales strategy to assist core sales reps and TC's on how to deliver EMC's cloud vision.
- Involve in maintenance of sales representatives in CRM by end dating the old roles with new and also update the territory.
- Utilize dymanic apex to create an administration tool that would grow over the life of its use for selecting relevant technologies.
Technical consultant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Technical Consultants are proficient in Java, Database, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Technical Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Java, 9%
Led critical testing efforts for Java integration with PeopleSoft System; oversaw team performance and ensured business continuity during integration period.
- Database, 5%
Contracted by client to improve the sales force's ability to target customers effectively by optimizing its existing prescription information database.
- Customer Service, 5%
Organized physical movement and placement of machines and troubleshot any issues as they arose while providing outstanding internal customer service.
- Project Management, 5%
Included application development, testing, project management support, developing training, and providing customer targeting process consulting services.
- C #, 4%
Worked in MVC pattern and Entity Framework in C #.
- Technical Support, 4%
Contributed to organization's profitability by generating and cultivating new business opportunities and by providing technical support for deal proposal development.
Most technical consultants use their skills in "java," "database," and "customer service" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential technical consultant responsibilities here:
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for a technical consultant to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what technical consultants do because "because analysts are tasked with finding innovative solutions to computer problems, an ability to “think outside the box” is important." Additionally, a technical consultant resume shows how technical consultants use creativity: "used ssis for etl processes of inventory, catalog, and other data files. "
Analytical skills. Another essential skill to perform technical consultant duties is analytical skills. Technical consultants responsibilities require that "analysts must interpret complex information from various sources and decide the best way to move forward on a project." Technical consultants also use analytical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "design & developed generic java tool to archive data from main to archive db (24/7) as per business requirement. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of technical consultants is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday technical consultant duties, as "analysts work as a go-between with management and the it department and must explain complex issues in a way that both will understand." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "designed web sphere mq based messaging interfaces (mdb) for the communication between java/j2ee based strategy system and legacy system. "
The three companies that hire the most technical consultants are:
- TTEC121 technical consultants jobs
- Accenture84 technical consultants jobs
- Ernst & Young80 technical consultants jobs
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Technical consultant vs. Consultant/team lead
Consultant team leads analyze background documentation, project documents, financial reports, etc., to prepare an initial report about the projects they are working on. They gather data through interviews, research, and surveys to design proposals meant to create an inclusive environment for everyone. These leaders work with clients to improve their organization's performance by coordinating their teams and identifying their needs. They also lead a team of consultants and discuss the techniques that help their clients improve their quality of living.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, technical consultant responsibilities require skills like "java," "database," "technical support," and "client facing." Meanwhile a typical consultant/team lead has skills in areas such as "product knowledge," "liaising," "data warehouse," and "windows." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Consultants/team lead earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $112,433. On the other hand, technical consultants are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $99,121.consultants/team lead tend to reach similar levels of education than technical consultants. In fact, consultants/team lead are 4.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Technical consultant vs. Contractor/consultant
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.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that technical consultant responsibilities requires skills like "java," "database," "customer service," and "technical support." But a contractor/consultant might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "healthcare," "post implementation," "data analysis," and "financial statements."
Contractor/consultants earn a lower average salary than technical consultants. But contractor/consultants earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $88,122. Additionally, technical consultants earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $99,121 annually.contractor/consultants earn similar levels of education than technical consultants in general. They're 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for technical consultants in the next 3-5 years?
Technical consultant vs. Technical team lead
The responsibilities of a technical team lead revolve around overseeing the progress and performance of a technical team, ensuring they are functioning efficiently. They mostly delegate tasks, manage schedules, set goals, produce reports and presentations, respond to correspondence, and coordinate with staff, clients, and other department personnel to ensure accuracy and timeliness for all projects. As the leader, it is crucial to implement the policies and regulations of the company, all while leading and encouraging the staff to reach goals.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from technical consultant resumes include skills like "database," "technical support," "client facing," and "infrastructure," whereas a technical team lead is more likely to list skills in "patients," "c++," "architecture," and "web services. "
Technical team leads earn the best pay in the automotive industry, where they command an average salary of $114,182. Technical consultants earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $99,121.Most technical team leads achieve a similar degree level compared to technical consultants. For example, they're 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Technical consultant vs. Technical system analyst
Technical Systems Analysts are employees who are adept in information technology (IT). They work in the IT department, where they oversee the different networks and systems that exist in the company. They manage the technical systems and ensure that these systems are working properly at all times. They generate reports related to the networks and systems. They then study and analyze these reports to identify existing problems or anticipate challenges that may come their way. These reports help them craft solutions to problems and invest in infrastructure that will address challenges.
Types of technical consultant
Updated January 8, 2025











