Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for technical solutions consultants in the United States
Technical solutions consultant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected technical solutions consultant job growth rate is 11% from 2018-2028.
About 108,400 new jobs for technical solutions consultants are projected over the next decade.
Technical solutions consultant salaries have increased 8% for technical solutions consultants in the last 5 years.
There are over 298,632 technical solutions consultants currently employed in the United States.
There are 174,520 active technical solutions consultant job openings in the US.
The average technical solutions consultant salary is $106,807.
Are technical solutions consultant jobs in demand?
Technical solutions consultant job and salary trends over time
Technical solutions consultant jobs over time
Technical solutions consultant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 298,632 | 0.09% |
| 2020 | 285,046 | 0.08% |
| 2019 | 275,006 | 0.08% |
| 2018 | 268,033 | 0.08% |
| 2017 | 260,030 | 0.08% |
Average technical solutions consultant salary over time
Technical solutions consultant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $106,807 | $51.35 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $103,883 | $49.94 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $101,872 | $48.98 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $100,459 | $48.30 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $99,094 | $47.64 | +0.0% |
Technical solutions consultant jobs by state
Most common states for technical solutions consultants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 861 | 124% |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 527 | 50% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 266 | 43% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 321 | 42% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,067 | 37% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 321 | 37% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,465 | 36% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 328 | 34% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,363 | 33% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,015 | 33% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 443 | 33% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 606 | 32% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 4,026 | 31% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,658 | 31% |
| 15 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 3,031 | 30% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 1,060 | 30% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 306 | 29% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 3,549 | 28% |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,522 | 27% |
| 20 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 772 | 27% |
Most common cities for technical solutions consultants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 3 | 11% | $88,171 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 3 | 8% | $112,064 |
| 3 | Dover | 3 | 8% | $96,312 |
| 4 | Hartford | 4 | 3% | $110,518 |
| 5 | Lansing | 4 | 3% | $91,060 |
| 6 | Boca Raton | 3 | 3% | $71,091 |
| 7 | Des Moines | 4 | 2% | $92,243 |
| 8 | Tallahassee | 4 | 2% | $72,469 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids | 3 | 2% | $90,345 |
| 10 | Atlanta | 7 | 1% | $87,318 |
| 11 | Boston | 7 | 1% | $106,421 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 5 | 1% | $72,132 |
| 13 | Washington | 5 | 1% | $110,830 |
| 14 | Miami | 4 | 1% | $70,574 |
| 15 | Sacramento | 4 | 1% | $131,383 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 6 | 0% | $84,837 |
| 17 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $93,546 |
| 18 | Detroit | 3 | 0% | $91,977 |
| 19 | Jacksonville | 3 | 0% | $72,292 |
Technical Solutions Consultant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of technical solutions consultant experts
Davidson College
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
University of West Florida
University Of Nevada, Las Vegas
Lewis-Clark State College
Duke University
Xavier University
Coastal Carolina University
Florida State University
University of Nevada, Reno
Bucknell University
University of Central Missouri
University of Arizona
Drake University
University of Washington
Drexel University
Bakersfield College
Portland State University
Drew University
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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Technical Solutions 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.
What will help Technical Solutions Consultants increase their earning potential?
Dr. Haris Alibašić Ph.D., MPA: "In the next 3-5 years, specific skills are poised to become increasingly important in business: Data Literacy, Digital Proficiency, Emotional Intelligence, Sustainability, Resilience, and Social Responsibility. However, the most necessary lasting skill that benefited my career is Effective Communication. Being able to communicate effectively is an indispensable skill."
Dak Kopec Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Coordinator, BA Interior Architecture and Design and Master of Design ProgramUniversity Of Nevada, Las Vegas
School of Architecture
What skills stand out on Technical Solutions Consultant resumes?
Dak Kopec Ph.D.: Having an area of expertise beyond the common skills that most graduates possess. Many firms are looking for those promotable employees, and these folks often speak with a high degree of intelligence about one or more aspects of design. I see that those with added skills in Health, Education, Sustainability, Technology, etc., often lead those departments in the firm, which becomes their mobility path to executive management. It's all about having something different or better than your competitors.
What soft skills should all Technical Solutions Consultants possess?
Dak Kopec Ph.D.: Flexibility in thinking and the ability to understand other people's perspectives. Basically, to get along as a team while keeping the negativity to a minimum.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Technical Solutions Consultants?
Dak Kopec Ph.D.: Revit and CAD. Especially as these relate to performative design. What I mean by performative design are technologically feature-rich buildings to respond to atmospheric and environmental conditions that support human occupation and productivity.
What skills will help Technical Solutions Consultants earn the most?
Dak Kopec Ph.D.: I don't think it's a skill as much as a specialization. Suppose a student wants to work in health design (for example). In that case, they will need to know the language that health practitioners use, or they risk saying something incorrectly and losing credibility. All sectors of society have words and acronyms that they use in everyday communication. If an architect, landscape architect, or interior designer has a specialization and can carry on a thoughtful conversation with the decision-makers of that industry (commercial, education, health, etc.), they will be valuable to that firm. The key is having a strong baseline knowledge in the area that a building type is being designed or redesigned for.
What skills stand out on Technical Solutions Consultant resumes?
Jenny Scott: -Relevant industry experience (for SR Business Consultant: 10 years)
-Project management
-Strategic Planning
-Team and Executive Leadership
What skills will help Technical Solutions Consultants earn the most?
Jenny Scott: -Emotional Intelligence
-Relevant industry experience (expertise)
-Written and oral presentation communication
-Ability to relate and connect . . .the best strategy in the world will live on paper only if the leader is not able to relate to their people (all stakeholder groups) and connect. Leadership involves three key elements: People - Influence - Goals. The most effective leaders are able to ethically influence their followers for the purpose of attaining the organization's mission and goals.
Michael Munger
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director, PPE ProgramDuke University
Department of Political Science
What skills stand out on Technical Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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!
Mike Halloran
Teaching Professor, Management and Entrepreneurship, Taskforce Member, Center for InnovationXavier University
Management Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Technical Solutions Consultants?
Mike Halloran: Excel
-Digital communication
-Budget management
Sourav Batabyal Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Finance and EconomicsCoastal Carolina University
Finance and Economics Department
What skills stand out on Technical Solutions Consultant resumes?
Sourav Batabyal Ph.D.: Problem-solving, Creative thinking, Data Analytics, Competitive Strategies, Communication, Leadership and Team Building, Decision making.
C. Darren Brooks Ph.D.
Assistant Department Chair and Executive Director, Center for Human Resource ManagementFlorida State University
Department of Management and the Center for Human Resource Management
What soft skills should all Technical Solutions Consultants possess?
C. Darren Brooks Ph.D.: While advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics occupy center stage in many areas of management practice, soft skills continue to be seen as equally or even more important skills for success in the field of management. Soft skills are typically described as personal attributes, qualities, and characteristics that enable us to interact more effectively with others. In most fields of management, our ability to communicate, work with, and interact with other people constitutes a significant portion of the work we do. Consequently, employers are focused on identifying candidates who possess strong skills are areas of communication (verbal, written, and non-verbal), leadership and followership, collaboration, an ability to work in teams, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, conflict management, problem-solving, creativity.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Technical Solutions Consultants?
C. Darren Brooks Ph.D.: As stated earlier, the field of management is broad and encompasses all industries and sectors. Consequently, the technical skills necessary to succeed will vary according to the specific knowledge and experiences required to understand the nuances of an organization. Accordingly, graduates who have business acumen and technical competency in a particular discipline or industry would be better positioned for employment opportunities. As a result, I always place emphasis on gaining internships and work experience concurrently with academic study. These experiences will provide a real-world understanding of the type of skills necessary to succeed in organizations as well as offer industry-specific knowledge. However, for many graduates, their practical skills are limited. In this case, it is important to ensure you have more generalizable skills that are applicable across industries, such as building digital fluency, analytical fluency, writing skills, and strong Excel skills. When speaking with consulting firms and industry employers, they repeatedly reference the need for graduates to demonstrate more advanced Excel skills.
Jim McClenahan
Director of Career and Corporate OutreachUniversity of Nevada, Reno
College of Business
What skills stand out on Technical Solutions Consultant resumes?
Jim McClenahan: Most importantly, skills that are customized for the job you are applying. Someone could work in a restaurant and have great customer management skills that would work well in a bank. The key is identifying "transferrable skills"-how what you did is relevant for the job you are applying. The applicant has to articulate that-don't expect the committee, screener, or HR Recruiter to make the connections. For business majors, the skills that differentiate applicants are technical skills when they are relevant to the job. Data analysis, coding, SQL are often looked for by employers that have a tech focus as preferred skills.
Neil Boyd Ph.D.
David J. & Deborah West Professor of Management; Chair, Management and Organizations DepartmentBucknell University
Management and Organizations Department
What skills will help Technical Solutions Consultants earn the most?
Neil Boyd Ph.D.: A combination of hard and soft skills, but at the end of the day, soft skills are critical to truly helping clients. And, for sure, they can be learned. This is a challenge for management education, but places like the Freeman College of Management at Bucknell work hard to develop soft skills in students primarily through coaching, experiential and community-based pedagogies, and professional development programming.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Technical Solutions Consultants?
Dr. Dan Jensen: Credentials viewed favorably vary from industry to industry and job to job. If you are focused on the positive trends (question 1 above), there are specialized certifications for nearly every role. Some certifications require that you have professional experience in the industry, but others can be earned prior to having relevant work experience.
Supply Chain (e.g., Certified Supply Chain Manager, CSCP)
Human Resources (e.g., Professional in Human Resources, PHR)
Project Management (e.g., Project Management Professional, PMP)
Sales (e.g., SPIN Selling)
Networking (e.g., Certified Cisco Network Associate, CCNA)
Customer Relationship Management (e.g., Salesforce certification)
Google Certifications (e.g., AdWords certification)
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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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 Solutions 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.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Solutions Consultants?
Les Atlas: Most certainly an impact, a very strong impact. The best lesson for us is from the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic. That strain of flu still circulates as a seasonal virus. Over 100 years laters, it is now considered a Phase 6 pandemic by the World Health Organization. While it is reduced due to current social distancing and mask wearing, the 1919 Spanish Flu virus still causes community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of the globe. Societal changes from this event of over 100 years ago are still with us.
In fact, they changed society. As is well-documented, after a high level of immunity was reached in the 1920's, the resulting labor shortage enabled workers to demand better living and working conditions, as well as better wages and public health care. As just one example of the societal changes due to the 1919 pandemic, the drop in the male labor force empowered male workers, and also changed the gender composition.
The aftermath of the 1919 pandemic was the start of women joining the labour force. In the United States, the proportion of women in the labour force rose from 18 per cent in 1900 to almost 21 per cent in 1920. In that same year, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, the Congress of the United States guaranteed all American women the right to vote.
The current COVID-19 pandemic will certainly change the way we live, be it our mobility or the kinds of career options people have. After our current year-long experience in remote learning and work, will we go back to the inefficiencies of going to our office every work day? Or will remote work be acceptable, where one's residence will not be dependent upon the locations of employment. Will we avoid future hotspots of infection, choosing to instead reside and travel in areas where infection is decreasing? Will we prefer to travel on aircraft which are certified to be virus-free and frequent restaurants which are documented to be safer? Future marketing will likely make a sharp turn in this direction.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Solutions Consultants?
Lauren D’Innocenzo Ph.D.: The coronavirus pandemic has certainly tightened the job market, with fewer available jobs in many sectors such as the service industry, but at the same time, has created many other opportunities for graduates in fields such as healthcare and supply chain. For new graduates, strategically considering opportunities may help to overcome some of the challenges presented in the current economy.
For example, if you are looking to gain experience in service, applying to service-oriented positions in IT or healthcare may offer more opportunities and give you more breadth of experience. I believe the potential for an enduring impact exists in a graduate's ability to adapt to changing demands and willingness to cast a wider net for available positions. Graduates who are myopically focused and unwilling to test their knowledge in different areas may not see the same opportunities, and over time, the lack of opportunities can add up. Now is a great time to work on your resilience and flexibility.
What type of skills will young Technical Solutions Consultants need?
Lauren D’Innocenzo Ph.D.: We are seeing more and more the need for core skills (formerly known as soft skills). These skills include being able to work in a team, leadership, critical problem-solving, and negotiations, to name a few. Many employers see these skills as transferable across contexts and increase the likelihood that the individual will be able to work with others and think outside of the box in collaborative, knowledge-intensive environments. We know that much of the learning for jobs occurs on the job and having these core skills can really help you to stand out as a team-oriented individual, who is willing to think beyond their own needs, and can learn organizational-specific skills needed to succeed in the employer's company.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Solutions Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Maryam Farahani: In my opinion, technology will play a much bigger role in our day-to-day life compared to the pre-pandemic world. Artificial intelligence and robotics will have a boost in employment numbers. Companies like Amazon, Walmart, Targets and etc, will need more IT and technology specialists to meet their customer's need for online shopping and supplying/delivering products to their customers. Jobs like programmers, data analysts, and technology support positions will have a rise in response to the change in the market due to pandemic.
For so many of the jobs, the need for a physical office is under question now, many employees are working from home and managing/coordinating their projects virtually. This will change the job market forever and job seekers need to learn new skills to adjust to this change.
Right now, healthcare-related job opportunities are growing in response to the rising need. In addition to doctors and nurses, there will be needs for management roles, accountants, technology supports, and lab technicians in health care industry.
What Technical Solutions Consultant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Maryam Farahani: The best approach is researching skills and technologies required in their field of education or their field of work. Specially if there are simulation software/skills presented in their schools (related to their field of work/study), they should not miss the opportunity to learn them. These type of trainings are much less expensive in school and help them to standout in the pool of candidates in current competitive job market. Plus the hiring companies will save time/money for training the trained candidates, and it gives the trained candidates higher chance of employment.
What general advice would you give to a Technical Solutions 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 are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Solutions Consultant job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Wayne Wakeland Ph.D.: Obviously, there is and will continue to be increased receptivity to (and necessity of) working remotely. This is likely to benefit some job seekers. On the other hand, the weakened economy, which may take years to recover, means that less jobs are/will be available, and, therefore, the competition for attractive jobs will be intense.
What Technical Solutions 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.
What skills stand out on Technical Solutions Consultant resumes?
Christopher Andrews: A combination of hard skills and soft skills. While hard skills include things like data analysis or experience using specific computer program applications, employers also value important soft skills such as attention to detail, time management, and teamwork. The latter might be implied or taken for granted but are critical nevertheless, especially for customer-facing jobs or those involving working with a group. While we're pretty good at defining and describing hard skills, I think we need to do better in helping students to articulate their soft skills and learn how to translate academic experiences and knowledge into things employers understand and value.