Information Technology Consultant Vs Information Technology Technician

The differences between information technology consultants and information technology technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information technology consultant, becoming an information technology technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an information technology consultant has an average salary of $84,790, which is higher than the $49,031 average annual salary of an information technology technician.

The top three skills for an information technology consultant include customer service, database and project management. The most important skills for an information technology technician are customer service, troubleshoot, and technical support.

Information technology consultant vs information technology technician overview

Information Technology ConsultantInformation Technology Technician
Yearly Salary$84,790$49,031
Hourly rate$40.76$23.57
Growth Rate9%10%
Number Of Jobs142,475118,881
Job Satisfaction--
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average Age4342
Years Of Experience62

What does an Information Technology Consultant do?

An Information Technology Consultant, also known as IT Consultant, is responsible for sharing extensive knowledge of Information Technology by providing suggestions and solving issues within the company. Among the duties include installing and maintaining the necessary software and hardware, designing new procedures, overseeing all implementations, and ensuring that all systems are running smoothly, employing methods to secure databases, and providing essential instructions when needed. Furthermore, an Information Technology Consultant needs to coordinate and report to management or supervisors at all times.

What does an information technology technician do?

An information technology technician, also known as an IT technician, is responsible for ensuring that all computer systems in a company or organization are running smoothly and efficiently. Their duties primarily revolve around installing and maintaining systems, including software and hardware, and resolving any issues. They also provide technical support such as troubleshooting, navigation, and even system upgrades. Furthermore, an information technology technician can choose whether to work for a company or independently.

Information technology consultant vs information technology technician salary

Information technology consultants and information technology technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Information Technology ConsultantInformation Technology Technician
Average Salary$84,790$49,031
Salary RangeBetween $62,000 And $115,000Between $28,000 And $83,000
Highest Paying CitySeattle, WAUrban Honolulu, HI
Highest Paying StateWashingtonHawaii
Best Paying CompanyCalifornia ResourcesCravath
Best Paying IndustryFinanceFinance

Differences between information technology consultant and information technology technician education

There are a few differences between an information technology consultant and an information technology technician in terms of educational background:

Information Technology ConsultantInformation Technology Technician
Most Common DegreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most Common MajorComputer ScienceComputer Science
Most Common CollegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Information technology consultant vs information technology technician demographics

Here are the differences between information technology consultants' and information technology technicians' demographics:

Information Technology ConsultantInformation Technology Technician
Average Age4342
Gender RatioMale, 83.4% Female, 16.6%Male, 84.8% Female, 15.2%
Race RatioBlack or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.5% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 11.8% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%11%

Differences between information technology consultant and information technology technician duties and responsibilities

Information Technology Consultant Example Responsibilities.

  • Accomplish telecommunication design and installation consulting services on VOIP phone systems.
  • Develop functional requirements as well as managed development and quality assurance activities using a full SDLC.
  • Ensure adequate security protections for proprietary data and intellectual property; manage and configure firewalls and security posture.
  • Lead enterprise-wide virtualization effort, overseeing and completing vendor/hardware qualifications, architecture/design, installation, configuration, migration and documentation.
  • Lead disaster recovery exercises, infrastructure hardware/software decommissioning initiatives and redeployment of legacy application retirements/migrations for Fannie Mae (client).
  • Assist in deploying PC's and laptops to sales organization as well as updating the OS as necessary per laptop specifications.
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Information Technology Technician Example Responsibilities.

  • Manage and execute project to remotely upgrade VPN clients
  • Manage incoming tickets and incidents in remedy and troubleshooting.
  • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
  • Analyze and maintain OS and domain account information across systems to ensure efficient and security workstations and virtual computing environments.
  • Provide implementation coordination, vendor management, and training for voice over IP project (VOIP).
  • Work on multiple projects dealing with VMware, server installation, computer repair, web design, and networking.
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Information technology consultant vs information technology technician skills

Common Information Technology Consultant Skills
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Database, 8%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Cloud, 8%
  • Troubleshoot, 4%
  • Business Processes, 4%
Common Information Technology Technician Skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Troubleshoot, 10%
  • Technical Support, 5%
  • Desk Support, 4%
  • Computer System, 3%
  • Network Printers, 3%

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