Report reveals how much consulting firms like Accenture, KPMG pay entry-level workers

How much the top consulting companies pay new graduates

For new college graduates looking to kickstart their careers, landing a job at a top-tier consulting firm remains one of the most lucrative paths available. A report by Business Insider reveals compensation data that shows exactly how much the industry’s heavyweights are paying their entry-level workers. The numbers also suggest a salary gap between the elite “Big Three” strategy firms and other global consulting giants.At the absolute top of the pay scale are the prestigious “MBB” firms – which are Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and McKinsey & Company – where starting base salaries alone comfortably clear the six-figure mark, frequently supplemented by thousands of dollars in signing bonuses, relocation assistance, and performance perks.

How much the top consulting companies pay new graduates

According to the report, the strategy firms continue to offer 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:

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.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

BCG is based in Boston and has 32,000 staff members in 128 offices around the world. The company is led by CEO Christoph Schweizer.Sitting behind the Big Three in base compensation are Accenture and EY, which both hit or cross 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 pulled in a massive $69.67 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025.

EY (Ernst & Young)

Deloitte, PwC and KPMG are huge global institutions, and their starting salaries typically don’t reach six figures, relying heavily on signing bonuses to lure new grads:

PwC (PriscillaWaterhouseCoopers)

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.

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.