Senior IT Consultant Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
Senior IT consultants make around $97,916 to $138,863 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, a senior IT consultant’s average salary in the US ranges between $97,916 and $138,863. As of March 2022, the average base salaries for senior IT consultants are as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $106,101 | $105,573 | $97,916 | $123,949 | $138,863 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is a Senior IT Consultant? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
Senior IT consultants are in high demand, and their salaries reflect that. But there are other factors that can affect how much you make as a consultant, including your experience, education, and location. Here’s a closer look at how these factors can impact your salary.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as a senior IT consultant, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your senior IT consultant salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $74,068 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $92,148 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $118,542 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $149,506 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $200,912 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as a senior IT consultant. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average senior IT consultant salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York City, NY | $152,657 |
| San Francisco, CA | $147,533 |
| Seattle, WA | $146,213 |
| Boston, MA | $145,253 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $144,446 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $106,246 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $103,979 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $99,047 |
| Nashville, TN | $98,150 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $92,181 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how a senior IT consultant’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| IT Security Specialist | $106,549 |
| Infrastructure Engineer | $115,606 |
| IT Solutions Architect | $122,432 |
| IT Business Analyst | $90,870 |
| IT Systems Analyst | $78,645 |
| IT Director | $106,655 |
| IT Consultant | $73,989 |
| IT Manager | $87,289 |
| IT Project Manager | $105,291 |
How to increase your senior IT consultant salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as a senior IT consultant, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Project management: Understand how to plan and execute complex IT projects
- Change management: Help companies navigate changes to their IT systems
- Business analysis: Understand the business needs of a company and how IT can help meet those needs
- IT strategy: Develop long-term plans for a company’s IT infrastructure and systems
- Vendor management: Manage relationships with vendors and service providers
2. Know Your Value
When you’re a consultant, your value is based on your ability to solve problems. Make sure you’re up to date on the latest industry trends, and be prepared to discuss how you can help a potential client with their specific needs. The more you can show that you’re an expert in your field, the more you can charge for your services.
3. Talk to Recruiters
If you’re looking for a raise, it can’t hurt to chat with some recruiters and get a sense of what your skills are worth in the current market. They may also have insights into upcoming trends that could help you position yourself for a bigger salary in the future.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131111.htm.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
3. Payscale. “Senior Technical Consultant Salary, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Senior_Technical_Consultant/Salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “Senior It Consultant Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Senior-It-Consultant-Salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Senior IT Consultant Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/recruiting/senior-it-consultant-salary.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “IT Consultant/Senior IT Consultant Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/senior-it-consultant-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm.” Accessed March 23, 2022.
