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The differences between technical solutions specialists and technical consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a technical solutions specialist, becoming a technical consultant takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a technical solutions specialist has an average salary of $111,470, which is higher than the $89,290 average annual salary of a technical consultant.
The top three skills for a technical solutions specialist include cloud, technical solutions and technical support. The most important skills for a technical consultant are java, database, and customer service.
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Technical Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $111,470 | $89,290 |
| Hourly rate | $53.59 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 161,014 | 173,374 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Technical Solutions Specialists are responsible for providing technical support and advice to customers and internal teams of an organization. Their duties include assessing business objectives through stakeholders' interaction, conducting product demonstrations, providing technical advice, and suggesting improvements for product teams. They are responsib designing solutions to fit customers' needs, assist in internal team training, and facilitate new website launches. Technical Solutions Specialists also gather market intelligence, conduct technical compliance, and assist in the request for proposals (RFP).
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 solutions specialists and technical consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Technical Consultant | |
| Average salary | $111,470 | $89,290 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $157,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | PVH | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Professional |
There are a few differences between a technical solutions specialist and a technical consultant in terms of educational background:
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Technical Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between technical solutions specialists' and technical consultants' demographics:
| Technical Solutions Specialist | Technical Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |