Technical Consultant Salary: Your 2025 Guide

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

A technical consultant salary can be as varied as the duties associated with this position. Discover how much you can earn in this field and what factors may play a role in your earning potential.

[Featured Image] A man who receives a technical consultant salary shows his client IT business analytics.

As a technical consultant, you may perform numerous duties for an organization or work as an independent contractor for multiple companies and businesses. No matter your tech specialty, it's important to stay updated on the latest trends and information. This way, you can help organizations remain competitive, solve problems, and educate their employees. 

As the use of technology in the workplace grows, so will the need for tech consultants and people who work across the IT field. That means potential job security if this is the path you choose to take. You'll need a bachelor's degree and several years of experience to start your journey toward this exciting career. Discover what technical consultants do, their average salaries, and factors that impact their earning potential.

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What is a technical consultant?

A technical consultant is someone with the expertise to help a company devise IT and computer systems solutions. This consultant can be someone the company employs full-time or a freelancer who works from contract to contract for multiple organizations. 

Depending on the technical consultant you are and the type of work a company requires, your job duties will vary. You may examine a company's technology and computer systems and make recommendations based on their needs or problems. You might help them update or implement new technology or train their staff on how to use new tech. You may even help engineers, developers, and manufacturers create new products to put on the market. Typical tasks for technical consultants include: 

  • Collaborating with leadership and developers to develop technical standards and documentation, in addition to making recommendations about the organization’s technology

  • Consulting with employees about problems they have with an organization's technology and creating solutions 

  • Analyzing an organization's computer system and its components and resolving any system errors

  • Providing support for testing, training, and improving system security 

  • Implementing and testing new technology, making changes as needed based on client needs and instructions

 

  • Establishing robust relationships with client vendors and remaining up to date on all new and emerging trends 

  • Ensuring all solutions and new technology provide value to the business and align with company goals 

  • Providing technical leadership for projects and assisting clients in becoming more self-sufficient 

How much does a technical consultant make?

According to five popular job listing sites, technical consultants can make anywhere from $77,354 to $125,777. These figures represent the base pay, which doesn’t include additional payments like bonuses, tips, or commissions. Here's a breakdown of that range by website [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

GlassdoorZippiaSalary.comIndeedZipRecruiter
$102,779$89,290$77,354$101,561$125,777

Keep in mind that certain factors may impact the total technical consultant salary. For example, having an advanced degree or years of experience can play a role in determining your technical consultant salary. The industry and location where you work can also have an impact.  

Factors that affect technical consultant salary

The company where you work and your role at that company can significantly impact how much you make as a technical consultant, but so can many other factors.

Education

For many technical consultant jobs, you may need a math, computer programming, engineering, and statistics background. This typically means earning at least a bachelor's degree. Some top majors for technical consultants are computer science, information science, management information systems, business, and electrical engineering.   

The more advanced your degree, the more you will likely earn as a technical consultant. Zippia reports the following average salary for tech consultants with the following degrees [6]:  

  • Some college or an associate degree: $80,966

  • Bachelor's degree: $91,157

  • Master's degree: $99,589

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Experience

In many fields, the more experience you have, the more likely you are to earn a higher salary, and being a tech consultant is no different. One way to do that is to advance your role to a senior technical consultant. People in this position usually have several years of experience in tech consulting or a related job. Zippia reports that you can earn an average salary of $105,025 as a senior technical consultant in the US [7]. 

However, you can also potentially increase your salary by gaining experience as a technical consultant. The following table breaks down how much you might make compared to the number of years you've held the position according to Glassdoor [1]:  

Years of experienceAverage base pay
0–1 years$74,104
1–3 years$81,819
4–6 years$90,286
7–9 years$94,853
10–14 years$106,809
15 or more years$123,125

Industry

As a technical consultant, you may work across any industry, from finance to manufacturing. Depending on your industry, you may have unique job duties and a unique salary. To help you envision the differences from industry to industry, take a look at data from Glassdoor regarding the average base pay for the following sectors [1]:  

IndustryAverage base pay
Aerospace and defense$131,764
Insurance$127,372
Energy, mining, and utilities$127,109
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology$118,739
Financial services$115,187

Location

Where you live and work can also influence how much you'll earn as a technical consultant. Living in a larger city with bigger businesses and a higher cost of living usually means a bigger salary. According to Zippia, the top 10 cities for a technical consultant to earn the highest salaries are [2]: 

  1. Seattle, WA: $120,120

  2. San Francisco, CA: $117,457

  3. New York City, NY: $95,965

  4. Washington, DC: $95,563

  5. Jersey City, NJ: $95,259

  6. Philadelphia, PA: $93,774

  7. Boston, MA: $92,920

  8. McLean, VA: $91,722

  9. Hartford, CT: $90,775

  10. Charlotte, NC: $88,111

Job Outlook

Technology is becoming a bigger part of the world of work every day, which means the outlook for tech jobs remains strong. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the need for information technology occupations will increase much faster than other occupations between 2023 and 2033. That includes an addition or opening of about 356,700 jobs each year [8].

Getting started on Coursera

Many factors impact a technical consultant salary, including location, previous work experience, and education. No matter your circumstances, the job typically comes with a competitive salary and a positive job outlook.  As a technical consultant, you must stay updated on the latest IT trends and hone your skills throughout your career. One way to do that is with online courses you can take at your convenience. 

On Coursera, you'll find thousands of options offered by some of the top businesses and universities in the world. Consider the Google IT Support Professional Certificate offered by Google on Coursera. You’ll learn in-demand skills and get AI training from Google experts. Upon completion, gain a shareable certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.

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professional certificate

Google IT Support

Get on the fast track to a career in IT. In this certificate program, you’ll learn in-demand skills, and get AI training from Google experts. Learn at your own pace, no degree or experience required.

4.8

(182,663 ratings)

1,742,417 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 6 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Cybersecurity, Wireless Security, Cryptography, Network Security, Directory Service, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Backup, Domain Name System (DNS), Ipv4, Network Model, Troubleshooting, Binary Code, Customer Support, Linux, Powershell, Linux File Systems, Command-Line Interface

Article sources

1

Glassdoor. "How Much Does a Technical Consultant Make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/technical-consultant-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm." Accessed January 27, 2025.

Updated on
Written by:
Coursera Staff

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.