ICT Consultant
Snapshot
ICT consultants provide advice on how to optimise the use of existing tools and systems, make recommendations for the development and implementation of a business project or technological solution and contribute to project definitions. They raise awareness on information technology innovations and their potential value to a business. They also participate in the assessment and choice of ICT solutions.
ICT consultants work with businesses to analyze their current technology infrastructure and processes. They identify areas for improvement, recommend new technologies or system upgrades, and contribute to the planning and implementation of IT projects. This role requires a blend of technical understanding, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. You'll be involved in assessing the potential of new technologies and ensuring they align with a business's strategic goals.
- • Evaluating existing ICT systems and identifying areas for optimization.
- • Recommending and implementing new technologies and solutions to meet business needs.
- • Contributing to the definition and planning of ICT projects.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Information and communications technology professionals — 75 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus and 6 more.
Longest-running shortage: Austria, 3 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $116,580 2025-05 | +8.2% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2025 * | — | +32.3% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Assessed as balanced Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £59,593 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for ICT consultant
The outlook for ICT consultant reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could ICT consultant change as AI adoption grows?
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- manage contracts
- provide ICT consulting advice
- monitor system performance
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- manage changes in ICT system
- analyse ICT system
- identify customer requirements
Tasks most exposed to automation
- manage standard enterprise resource planning system
- provide user documentation
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Digital Technology
A typical day as an ICT consultant
09 09:00 · Morning analyse software specifications
10 10:30 · Mid-morning manage changes in ICT system
12 12:00 · Midday manage ICT project
14 14:00 · Afternoon keep up with the latest information systems solutions
15 15:30 · Late afternoon manage standard enterprise resource planning system
17 17:00 · Wrap-up analyse ICT system
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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manage changes in ICT system
Plan, realise and monitor system changes and upgrades. Maintain earlier system versions. Revert, if necessary, to a safe older system version.
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analyse ICT system
Analyse the functioning and performance of information systems in order to define their goals, architecture and services and set procedures and operations to meet end users requirements.
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identify customer requirements
Apply techniques and tools, such as surveys, questionnaires, ICT applications, for eliciting, defining, analysing, documenting and maintaining user requirements from system, service or product.
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keep up with the latest information systems solutions
Gather the latest information on existing information systems solutions which integrate software and hardware, as well as network components.
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create project specifications
Define the workplan, duration, deliverables, resources and procedures a project has to follow to achieve its goals. Describe project goals, outcomes, results and implementation scenarios.
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provide ICT consulting advice
Advise on appropriate solutions in the field of ICT by selecting alternatives and optimising decisions while taking into account potential risks, benefits and overall impact to professional customers.
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provide user documentation
Develop and organise the distribution of structured documents to assist people using a particular product or system, such as written or visual information about an application system and how to use it.
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manage ICT project
Plan, organize, control and document procedures and resources, such as human capital, equipment and mastery, in order to achieve specific goals and objectives related to ICT systems, services or products, within specific constraints, such as scope, time, quality and budget.
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optimise choice of ICT solution
Select the appropriate solutions in the field of ICT while taking into account potential risks, benefits and overall impact.
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identify technological needs
Assess needs and identify digital tools and possible technological responses to address them. Adjust and customise digital environments to personal needs (e.g. accessibility).
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monitor system performance
Measure system reliability and performance before, during and after component integration and during system operation and maintenance. Select and use performance monitoring tools and techniques, such as special software.
ICT sales methodologies
The practices used in the ICT sector to promote and sell products, services or applications such as SPIN Selling, Conceptual Selling and SNAP Selling.
ICT system integration
The principles of integrating ICT components and products from a number of sources to create an operational ICT system, techniques which ensure interoperability and interfaces between components and the system.
visual presentation techniques
The visual representation and interaction techniques, such as histograms, scatter plots, surface plots, tree maps and parallel coordinate plots, that can be used to present abstract numerical and non-numerical data, in order to reinforce the human understanding of this information.
Agile project management
The agile project management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.
ICT process quality models
The quality models for ICT services which address the maturity of the processes, the adoption of recommended practices and their definition and institutionalisation that allow the organisation to reliably and sustainably produce required outcomes. It includes models in a lot of ICT areas.
ICT project management methodologies
The methodologies or models for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals, such methodologies are Waterfall, Incremental, V-Model, Scrum or Agile and using project management ICT tools.
lean project management
The lean project management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.
Process-based management
The process-based management approach is a methodology for planning, managing and overseeing of ICT resources in order to meet specific goals and using project management ICT tools.
software components libraries
The software packages, modules, web services and resources that cover a set of related functions and the databases where these reusable components can be found.
- legal requirements of ICT products
- copyright legislation
- emergent technologies
Path to become an ICT consultant
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
716 programmes in 25 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 382 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Diploma in IT Management (CPD)
Technological University Dublin · Ireland
PG Dip in Bus Info Systems
Technological University Dublin · Ireland
Master of Science in Computing in Cloud Technologies
Atlantic Technological University · Ireland
Information Management
Tilburg University · the Netherlands
Higher Diploma in Science in Agri-Food ICT Systems
South East Technological University · Ireland
Certificate in IT Project Management
Atlantic Technological University · Ireland
These are 6 of 1,098.
Sources
- 1. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 2. Bron: DUO open onderwijsdata
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does ICT consultant fit?
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Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of businesses typically hire ICT consultants?
Do I need a specific technical background to become an ICT consultant?
Is it common to work as a freelance ICT consultant?
How much does ICT Consultant pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data