IT Consultant to IT Manager

Summary: 2 of the 5 core skills listed for IT Manager carry over directly from IT Consultant. The US median salary changes by +19% ($105K → $125K). Difficulty: Moderate, typically around 6 months of focused upskilling.

The two roles

IT Consultant: Advise organizations on technology strategy and implementation.

IT Manager: Lead IT teams and manage technology infrastructure for organizations. Growth outlook +6%; AI-resistant. Typical education: bachelor. Typical experience: 5+ years.

Skills that carry over

• IT Strategy
• Project Management

Skills to learn for IT Manager

• Leadership
• Budget Management
• Vendor Management

Salary comparison (median, estimated)

Salary figures are estimates benchmarked against public compensation data — see methodology.

Next steps

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Related

IT Consultant career guide | IT Manager career guide

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