How much do management consultants make in 2026?
Management consultants are counted in the BLS management analysts series, where OEWS May 2025 reports a national median of $101,860 a year ($48.97 an hour), a 10th percentile near $60,640 and a 90th percentile of $171,640. The series is large — 898,280 people — and it pools a very wide range of work: strategy consultants at brand-name firms, operations and process improvement specialists, independent consultants, internal consulting teams and a substantial population of self-employed analysts. That mix is why the median sits lower than many readers expect. Firm tier is the dominant variable in this occupation: strategy and elite consultancies pay base salaries well above the median from the first year and add substantial performance bonuses, while regional, boutique and internal consulting roles cluster around and below it. Two further honesty points. Bonus is a real and variable component at consulting firms, so quoted base figures understate good years and overstate poor ones. And the career structure is genuinely up-or-out at many firms — progression is expected on a timetable, and not progressing means leaving. Employment is projected to grow 8.8% through 2034 with roughly 98,100 openings a year. → Full management consultant career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $101,860 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Management Consultants earn a national median $101,860/yr ($48.97/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1111); the P10 to P90 range is $60,640 to $171,640.
- The $101,860 median comes from a very broad 898,280-person BLS series pooling strategy consultants, operations specialists, internal consulting teams and independent analysts, which is why it sits lower than many expect.
- Firm tier dominates pay: elite strategy and large consultancies pay well above the median from the first year, while regional, boutique and internal consulting roles cluster around and below it.
- Bonus is substantial and variable at consulting firms, and the career structure at many of them is genuinely up-or-out — progression is expected on a timetable, and not progressing means leaving.
US Management Consultant Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do management consultants earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 13-1111; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1111, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a management consultant earn at each career stage?
Consulting pay follows firm tier and the consulting ladder, which moves faster than in most professions. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 13-1111, a broad series pooling many kinds of analytical and advisory work.
By State
Which states pay management consultants the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. Consulting pay is set by firm rather than by geography: firms pay national scales by level, and consultants travel to clients, so the state you live in affects your cost of living far more than your compensation.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($117,140), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay management consultants the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. The genuine metro signal is where firm offices are, since staffing to an office determines which market's scale applies.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a management consultant’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does management consultant pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Management Consultants sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify management consultant wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a management consultant actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Management Consultant Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Management Consultant career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring management consultants?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Management Consultant
Everything for management consultants in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full management consultant cluster.