Industry path · Professional services
MBA careers in Consulting
Consulting firms hire MBAs to solve cross-industry problems — strategy, operations, and transformation work for clients across every sector.
- Mapped roles
- 4
- occupations MBAs take in consulting
- With wage data
- 4
- published benchmarks
- Median wage span
- $89k–$106k
- across mapped roles
- Verified MBA outcomes
- 0
- still being collected
What MBA roles in consulting pay
Wage ranges for the occupations MBAs commonly fill in consulting — the soft band is the 10th–90th percentile, the solid band the middle 50%, the marker the median. These are occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific salaries, but they show how pay is structured in this industry.
These are occupational wage benchmarks for roles MBA graduates commonly target — wage context across all workers, not verified MBA-specific outcomes.
Management Analysts
$101,860median
Management consulting maps directly to this occupation.
Operations Research Analysts
$88,940median
Operations and analytics consulting.
Project Management Specialists
$102,320median
Transformation and delivery programs.
General and Operations Managers
$105,770median
Internal strategy/GM exits from consulting.
See the full benchmark table▸
| Role (occupation) | Median annual | 10th–90th pct | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|---|
Management Analysts Management consulting maps directly to this occupation. SOC 13-1111 | $101,860 | $60,640 – $171,640 | 898,280 |
Operations Research Analysts Operations and analytics consulting. SOC 15-2031 | $88,940 | $57,060 – $159,910 | 108,510 |
Project Management Specialists Transformation and delivery programs. SOC 13-1082 | $102,320 | $61,580 – $167,970 | 1,066,670 |
General and Operations Managers Internal strategy/GM exits from consulting. SOC 11-1021 | $105,770 | $50,090 – $253,390 | 3,503,020 |
These are occupational wage benchmarks for roles MBA graduates commonly target — wage context across all workers, not verified MBA-specific outcomes.
Is Consulting a fit for you?
A strong fit if you…
- Enjoy variety, problem-solving, and steep learning curves
- Are open to travel and client-facing work
- Want a launchpad into many future roles
Maybe look elsewhere if you…
- Want deep, long-term ownership of one product or team
- Prefer minimal travel and a fixed daily routine
What MBAs do here
Strategy
Growth, market-entry, and corporate-strategy engagements.
Operations
Cost, supply-chain, and process improvement.
Transformation
Large-scale change, digital, and org redesign.
Functions MBAs run
The teams and remits graduates commonly own in this industry.
What affects your pay on this path
Two people on the same path can earn very differently. These are the factors that move the number most — worth weighing as you plan your MBA.
- Firm tier and office geography
- Pre-MBA experience and specialization
- Bonus structure on top of base
- Practice area
Concentrations that fit this industry
Tap any to explore that career path.
Related tools
MBA ROI calculator
Model payback with your own tuition, salary, and debt — an estimate, not a verified figure.
Debt payoff calculator
See monthly payment, payoff time, and total interest on MBA debt.
Submit your outcome
Share an outcome from Consulting to help others see real pay here.
Methodology
How we source, label, and gate every figure on SalaryMBA.
Help us add real salary ranges for MBAs in Consulting
SalaryMBA is built from real outcomes people share. A reliable range here needs:
- 1A handful of real, reviewed outcomes from people on this path
- 2Their school, role, industry, and city — so ranges reflect like-for-like
- 3Public datasets and school reports to cross-check the numbers