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.
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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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
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]:
Glassdoor | Zippia | Salary.com | Indeed | ZipRecruiter |
---|---|---|---|---|
$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.
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.
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
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 experience | Average 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 |
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]:
Industry | Average 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 |
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]:
Seattle, WA: $120,120
San Francisco, CA: $117,457
New York City, NY: $95,965
Washington, DC: $95,563
Jersey City, NJ: $95,259
Philadelphia, PA: $93,774
Boston, MA: $92,920
McLean, VA: $91,722
Hartford, CT: $90,775
Charlotte, NC: $88,111
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].
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.
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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.
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Average time: 6 month(s)
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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
Glassdoor. "How Much Does a Technical Consultant Make?, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/technical-consultant-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm." Accessed January 27, 2025.
Zippia. "Technical Consultant Salary, https://www.zippia.com/technical-consultant-jobs/salary/." Accessed January 27, 2025.
Salary.com. "Technical Consultant, https://www.salary.com/tools/salary-calculator/technical-consultant." Accessed January 27, 2025.
Indeed. "Technical Consultant Salary in the United States, https://www.indeed.com/career/technical-consultant/salaries." Accessed January 27, 2025.
ZipRecruiter. "Technical Consultant, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Technical-Consultant-Salary#Yearly." Accessed January 27, 2025.
Zippia. "Best Colleges and Majors for Technical Consultants, https://www.zippia.com/technical-consultant-jobs/education/?src=chatbot_popout_displayed." Accessed January 27, 2025.
Zippia. "Senior Technical Consultant Salary, https://www.zippia.com/senior-technical-consultant-jobs/salary/." Accessed January 27, 2025.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Computer and Information Technology Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm." Accessed January 27, 2025.
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