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The differences between technical specialists and 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 specialist, becoming a consultant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a technical specialist has an average salary of $88,773, which is higher than the $78,912 average annual salary of a consultant.
The top three skills for a technical specialist include customer service, technical support and patients. The most important skills for a consultant are customer service, strong analytical, and project management.
| Technical Specialist | Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $88,773 | $78,912 |
| Hourly rate | $42.68 | $37.94 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 121,151 | 171,733 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
The role of technical specialists is to provide technical support for applications and programs to staff members and customers within an organization. They train staff and customers on products and apps and offer advice on the best practices for utilizing technical programs and applications. They also design training materials to teach other staff members the most effective methods of using its technology. It is also their job to reduce company costs by looking for ways to improve productivity and lessen expenses.
Consultants are individuals who were tapped by a company or an organization to work on a specific activity, depending on their field of expertise. They act as guides for the organization in undertaking projects that are related to their field. Consultants would usually assist organizations in planning, often giving advice when the need arises. They would, at times, take the lead in activities that involve data gathering and interpretation of data gathering results so that they can provide solid recommendations on actions that the organization may undertake. They may also guide the organization in implementing any changes brought about by their consultancy and in evaluating the effectiveness of the changes.
Technical specialists and consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technical Specialist | Consultant | |
| Average salary | $88,773 | $78,912 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $126,000 | Between $58,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | L.E.K. Consulting |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a technical specialist and a consultant in terms of educational background:
| Technical Specialist | Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between technical specialists' and consultants' demographics:
| Technical Specialist | Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.2% Female, 28.8% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 13.8% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 12% |