For new college graduates aiming to launch their careers, securing a position at a premier consulting firm remains one of the most financially rewarding avenues. A report by Business Insider discloses compensation data that highlights the salaries offered by industry leaders to entry-level employees. The figures also indicate a disparity between the elite "Big Three" strategy firms and other global consulting companies.
Top Pay at MBB Firms
At the pinnacle of the pay scale are the prestigious "MBB" firms—Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and McKinsey & Company. These firms offer starting base salaries that comfortably exceed six figures, often supplemented by substantial signing bonuses, relocation assistance, and performance perks.
How Much Top Consulting Companies Pay New Graduates
According to the report, strategy firms continue to provide the highest starting base salaries for new graduates:
Bain & Company
Led globally by CEO Christophe De Vusser, the smallest of the Big Three employs roughly 19,000 people. It offers a premium starting package:
- Base Salary: $112,000
- Bonuses & Perks: Up to $22,500 in performance bonuses, a $5,000 signing bonus, and a housing allowance up to $5,000.
- Relocation: Up to $5,000 generally, scaling up to $10,000 for New York City hires.
McKinsey & Company
As the largest of the elite trio with over 45,000 employees globally, the Bob Sternfels-led firm matches Bain on starting pay:
- Base Salary: $112,000
- Bonuses & Perks: Up to $18,000 performance bonuses, $5,000 signing bonus, housing allowance up to $5,000.
- Relocation: Up to $10,000.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
BCG is based in Boston and has 32,000 staff members in 128 offices worldwide. The company is led by CEO Christoph Schweizer:
- Base Salary: $110,000
- Bonuses & Perks: Up to $22,000 performance bonuses, $5,000 signing bonus, up to $4,400 profit sharing.
- Relocation: Up to $6,000.
Other Top Firms
Behind the Big Three in base compensation are Accenture and EY, both hitting or crossing the $100,000 threshold for early-career hires:
Accenture
Standing as the largest employer on the list with an enormous global workforce of 786,000 people, Accenture generated $69.67 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025:
- Base Salary: $105,000
- Bonuses & Perks: A performance bonus up to $30,000 and a $12,500 signing bonus (or C$10,000 in Canada).
- Relocation: Up to $2,500.
EY (Ernst & Young)
With a global headcount nearing 400,000, EY generated roughly $53 billion in revenue for its fiscal year ending June 2025:
- Base Salary: $100,000
- Bonuses & Perks: A signing bonus of $12,500; entry-level employees are not eligible for performance bonuses until their third year.
Firms with Lower Starting Salaries
Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG are huge global institutions, but their starting salaries typically don’t reach six figures, relying heavily on signing bonuses to attract new graduates:
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
With 365,000 employees and $60 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025, PwC’s initial structure remains simple:
- Starting Salary: Up to $90,000
- Signing Bonus: $0 - $7,500.
KPMG
With nearly $40 billion in global revenue for its fiscal year ending September 2025 and 276,000 employees worldwide, KPMG recently emphasized in-person collaboration with a massive new 450,000-square-foot office in New York:
- Base Salary: Up to $90,000.
- Bonuses & Perks: Up to $7,500 signing bonus and unique "real-time" performance bonuses.
- Relocation: Up to $2,000.
Deloitte Consulting
Deloitte, which employed more than 181,000 people in the United States, earned about $36 billion in revenue in its fiscal year ended May 2025:
- Base Salary: $84,000 - $95,000
- Bonuses & Perks: Signing bonus up to $12,500, plus performance bonuses up to $26,250 specifically for MBA hires.
- Relocation: $2,500 maximum.
