· 6 min read
Management Consultant Salary 2026: Base Pay at 8 Firms by Level
Management consultants at large firms start at a median base of $95,700 to $112,000 out of college and $129,699 to $192,000 after an MBA, in US H-1B filings from eight firms.
A management consultant at a large US firm starts at a median base salary of $95,700 to $112,000 out of college and $129,699 to $192,000 after an MBA, in H-1B filings from January 2025 to June 2026 (firms with 10 or more filings at that level). McKinsey, BCG and Bain pay $110,000 to $112,000 out of college and $190,000 to $192,000 after an MBA, the same base in every office. Bonuses add a lot: Management Consulted's 2026 report puts first-year totals for MBA hires at $267,000 to $285,000 at those three. The government's figure for all US management analysts is far lower, a $101,860 median in May 2025.
Where the numbers come from. Base salaries are from public US Department of Labor filings by eight consulting firms, worked out in code. H-1B filings show base salary only: no bonus, signing bonus, profit sharing or benefits. Bonus figures come from the dated reports named next to them.
Undergraduate hires
Median base salary for each firm's undergraduate entry title, January 2025 to June 2026. Range is the 10th to 90th percentile.
| Firm and title | Filings | Median base | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinsey, Business Analyst | 58 | $112,000 | $112,000 |
| BCG, Associate | 113 | $110,000 | $110,000 |
| Bain, Associate Consultant | 21 | $112,000 | $112,000 |
| L.E.K., Associate Consultant | 3 | $135,000 | $135,000 |
| Deloitte, Consultant | 250 | $95,700 | $67K to $136K |
| PwC, Associate | 8 | $94,500 | $85K to $105K |
MBA hires
The title most MBA hires join at, by firm.
| Firm and title | Filings | Median base | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinsey, Associate | 149 | $192,000 | $192,000 |
| BCG, Consultant | 497 | $190,000 | $190,000 |
| Bain, Consultant | 55 | $192,000 | $192K to $202K |
| Kearney, Associate | 44 | $172,500 | $157K to $188K |
| L.E.K., Consultant | 30 | $185,000 | $185K to $200K |
| Deloitte, Senior Consultant | 932 | $129,699 | $91K to $170K |
| PwC, Senior Associate | 52 | $138,650 | $123K to $175K |
Managers
The first manager level, which leads the day-to-day work on a project.
| Firm and title | Filings | Median base | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinsey, Engagement Manager | 124 | $220,000 | $200K to $220K |
| BCG, Project Leader | 173 | $225,400 | $225,400 |
| Bain, Manager | 38 | $212,000 | $212,000 |
| Kearney, Manager | 40 | $212,000 | $212,000 |
| L.E.K., Engagement Manager | 9 | $241,500 | $242K to $500K |
| Deloitte, Manager | 1,057 | $167,835 | $121K to $205K |
| PwC, Manager | 72 | $170,000 | $150K to $188K |
| Accenture, Manager | 18 | $168,300 | $162K to $195K |
The strategy firms file one salary per level: 442 of 497 BCG Consultant filings name exactly $190,000. Deloitte's filings spread from $90,917 to $169,500 for one title, because pay there varies by office and practice.
Bonus and total pay
From Management Consulted's Consulting Salaries Report 2026, which covers offers made in 2025 (via Poets&Quants, January 26, 2026):
- Top of the market, MBA hires: $192,000 base, up to $63,000 in performance bonus and a $35,000 signing bonus.
- Top of the market, undergraduates: $112,000 base, a $30,000 performance bonus and a $5,000 signing bonus.
- First-year totals for MBA hires: about $285,000 at Bain, $270,000 at BCG and $267,000 at McKinsey. In the Big 4 strategy and consulting arms, from $210,000 (KPMG Consulting) to $280,000 (PwC Strategy&).
- The trend: starting pay at the top firms was flat for a third year in a row.
The national figure
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts every management analyst in the US, including internal consultants and small firms. Its May 2025 median is $101,860, with the lowest 10% under $60,640 and the highest 10% over $171,640. In professional, scientific and technical services, where consulting firms sit, the median is $107,330. An MBA hire at McKinsey, BCG or Bain starts above what 90% of the occupation earns.
How we got these numbers
US employers that hire someone on an H-1B visa must first file a Labor Condition Application with the US Department of Labor, stating the job title, work site and the wage they will pay. The DOL publishes every filing in its LCA disclosure data. We read the filings through h1bdata.info, a free search of that data, because the DOL's own quarterly files run to hundreds of MB. We read them on October 15, 2026.
- Filing window: filings submitted from January 2025 to June 2026, the latest the DOL has published.
- Filings counted: 3,743 across the rows shown, one per DOL case number.
- Job titles matched:
- McKinsey, Business Analyst: "Business Analyst Management Consultant" (58)
- BCG, Associate: "Associate" (113)
- Bain, Associate Consultant: "Associate Consultant" (21)
- L.E.K., Associate Consultant: "Associate Consultant" (3)
- Deloitte, Consultant: "Consultant" (250)
- PwC, Associate: "Associate (PwC US Consulting LLP)" (8)
- McKinsey, Associate: "Associate Management Consultant" (149)
- BCG, Consultant: "Consultant" (497)
- Bain, Consultant: "Consultant" (55)
- Kearney, Associate: "Associate" (44)
- L.E.K., Consultant: "Consultant" (30)
- Deloitte, Senior Consultant: "Senior Consultant" (932)
- PwC, Senior Associate: "Senior Associate (PwC US Consulting LLP)" (52)
- McKinsey, Engagement Manager: "Engagement Manager Management Consultant" (124)
- BCG, Project Leader: "Project Leader" (173)
- Bain, Manager: "Manager" (38)
- Kearney, Manager: "Manager" (40)
- L.E.K., Engagement Manager: "Engagement Manager, Manager" (9)
- Deloitte, Manager: "Manager" (1,057)
- PwC, Manager: "Manager (PwC US Consulting LLP)" (72)
- Accenture, Manager: "Management Consulting Manager" (18)
- Median: the middle filed salary for that title. Range: the 10th to 90th percentile, so a few unusual filings don't stretch it.
- Base salary only. An H-1B filing states the base wage. Bonuses, signing bonuses, profit sharing and benefits are not in it, so the bonus figures on this page come from the dated reports named next to them.
- Who is in it. Only roles filed for visa holders, at every US office. A filing is the wage the employer committed to pay, not proof of a hire.
Searches read:
Getting the offer
Every firm here hires through case interviews. Start with our case interview preparation guide and the consulting case study examples, then try a free sample case. Firm by firm: McKinsey salary, BCG salary, Bain salary, Deloitte consultant salary and Big 4 salary.
Sources
- US Department of Labor, H-1B LCA disclosure data, filings submitted January 2025 to June 2026, via h1bdata.info, read October 15, 2026
- Poets&Quants (Jeff Schmitt), citing Management Consulted's Consulting Salaries Report 2026, Consulting Pay: What MBAs Earned In 2025, January 26, 2026
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Management Analysts: Pay, May 2025 wages, page updated August 27, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much do management consultants make?
At large firms, a median base of $95,700 to $112,000 out of college and $129,699 to $192,000 after an MBA, in filings from January 2025 to June 2026, plus bonuses. Across all US management analysts, the BLS median is $101,860 (May 2025).
How much do consultants make out of college?
$112,000 at McKinsey and Bain and $110,000 at BCG in base salary, and $95,700 as the median Deloitte Consultant filing. Management Consulted puts the top undergraduate package at $112,000 base, $30,000 performance bonus and $5,000 signing bonus.
How much do consultants make after an MBA?
$192,000 at McKinsey and Bain, $190,000 at BCG, $185,000 at L.E.K. and $172,500 at Kearney in median base. First-year totals at the top three run from about $267,000 to $285,000.
Do McKinsey, BCG and Bain pay more than the Big 4?
On base, yes: $192,000 for a McKinsey Associate against a $129,699 median for a Deloitte Senior Consultant and $138,650 for a PwC Consulting Senior Associate. The Big 4 strategy arms come closer on total pay, up to $280,000 at PwC Strategy&.
Is consulting pay the same in every city?
At McKinsey, BCG and Bain, almost always: one salary per level across the US. At Deloitte it varies by office, from $105,206 to $140,850 in median Senior Consultant pay between Pennsylvania and Texas.
Related guides
- Deloitte Consultant Salary 2026: Base Pay by Level and State
- Bain Salary 2026: Base Pay by Level from H-1B Filings
- BCG Salary 2026: Base Pay by Level from H-1B Filings
- Big 4 Salary 2026: Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG Pay by Level
- McKinsey Salary 2026: Base Pay by Level from H-1B Filings
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