Top Consulting Firms Ranking 2023

“What are the best management consulting firms?” That is no easy question to answer, because there is no specific metric to decide whether a consulting firm is “good”. However, there are a few common concerns – mostly about career tracks and business outlooks.

In this article, I’ll be listing the top consulting firms on the most relevant criteria: salary, work-life balance, prestige, and overall ranking. I’ll also touch on industry expertise, revenue and growth in recent years.

Top consulting firms – Overview

What are consulting firms?

Consulting firms are businesses that sell professional advice to businesses and organizations, helping them solve problems. They do so through their in-house experts and/or external experts. Some consulting firms might specialize in one or a few industries and functions, or while others are generalists, covering hundreds or thousands of areas.

Categories of top consulting firms

When the phrase “top consulting firms” is heard, almost everyone imagines McKinsey, BCG and Bain – the “Big Three” consulting firms with the highest prestige. However, “top” or “best” are vague terms, and in the shadows of the MBB firms stand many excellent consultancies, both as service providers and employers.

Consulting firms are divided into many groups, according to size, prestige, as well as areas of specialization. Among the top consulting firms, the most notable groups are:

MBB Consulting Firms: MBB stands for McKinsey, BCG and Bain – the three most prestigious consulting firms in the world. Each of these firms charge HUGE amounts for their services, with each project going into the millions of dollars. They hold the highest standards in work quality, and pay the most generous salaries for consultants.
Tier 2 Consulting Firms: This group consists of large, global consulting firms, providing services for big clients. The differences between them and MBB firms are the prestige and the price of projects – Tier 2 projects tend to be cheaper, around six-digit numbers. Some famous names in this segment are Accenture, Roland Berger, Oliver Wyman, LEK.
Big 4 Consulting Practice: This group consists of the consulting divisions of the Big 4 Accounting Firms – Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG (usually with different brand names). These divisions are the largest consulting firms in the world, revenue-wise. Nonetheless, their projects are smaller than MBB, about the same as Tier 2 firms
Boutique Consulting Firms: Boutique is a loose term for small, specialized and localized firms, often with an elite status in their target market. These firms often employ less than 500 employees, handling smaller projects than their big generalist cousins. Salaries and benefits vary, but can be competitive with the top firms.

Top consulting firms – Vault consulting ranking 2023

All the lists below are compiled by Vault, based on their data on surveys of working consultants. Consultants are allowed to rate only their firm on quality-of-life issues, and only other firms on prestige and practice areas.

Best consulting firms to work for (global 2023)

This first list scores and ranks each consulting firm based on the following factors:

30% – Prestige
15% – Firm Culture
5% – Satisfaction
0% – Compensation
10% – Work/Life Balance
10% – Level of Challenge
5% – Overall Business Outlook
5% – Promotion Policies

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Bain & Company	9.383
2	Boston Consulting Group	9.242
3	McKinsey & Company	9.085
4	EY-Parthenon	8.277
5	The Bridgespan Group	7.997
6	ghSMART	7.959
7	Kearney	7.797
8	L.E.K. Consulting	7.772
9	Analysis Group	7.730
10	Alvarez & Marsal	7.721
11	Putnam	7.718
12	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	7.691
13	Roland Berger	7.678
14	Deloitte Consulting LLP	7.671
15	The Cambridge Group, LLC	7.661
16	Cornerstone Research	7.569
17	The Keystone Group	7.542
18	Publicis Sapient	7.508
19	Simon-Kucher	7.484
20	Kaiser Associates	7.436
21	Back Bay Life Science Advisors	7.36
22	ClearView Healthcare Partners	7.352
23	Arthur D. Little	7.325
24	The Brattle Group	7.295
25	OC&C Strategy Consultants	7.281
26	The Chartis Group	7.28
27	Kenway Consulting	7.262
28	Eagle Hill Consulting	7.217
29	Altman Solon	7.213
30	Charles River Associates	7.212
31	Bates White Economic Consulting	7.205
32	Keystone Strategy	7.203
33	Blue Matter Consulting	7.189
34	DeciBio Consulting, LLC	7.184
35	Health Advances	7.179
36	ScottMadden Management Consultants	7.158
37	NERA Economic Consulting	7.139
38	DayBlink Consulting	7.089
39	The Poirier Group	6.994
40	LeapPoint	6.986
41	Epsilon Economics and Epsilon Life Sciences	6.983
42	TriVista	6.975
43	Insight Sourcing Group	6.96
44	Insigniam	6.901
45	Forrester	6.899
46	Kx Advisors	6.873
47	BPM Advisory	6.845
48	Censeo Consulting Group	6.834
49	Ignyte Group	6.816
50	Stax	6.773

Best boutique consulting firms to work for (global 2023)

Big firm consultants are much more likely to value the prestige of their organization than those who work for boutiques. Hence, the ranking for boutique firms based on the remaining factors that consultants identified as being important to them. The result is weighted as follows:

25% - Firm Culture
20% - Satisfaction
20% - Work/Life Balance
10% - Level of Challenge
10% - Compensation
10% - Overall Business Outlook
5% - Promotion Policies

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	ghSMART	9.757
2	Aminad Consulting	9.582
3	Kenway Consulting	9.203
4	Back Bay Life Science Advisors	9.14
5	Eagle Hill Consulting	9.034
6	The Cambridge Group, LLC	9.002
7	The Bridgespan Group	8.986
8	Stern Value Management	8.962
9	DayBlink Consulting	8.958
10	The Keystone Group	8.95
11	SciVida	8.944
12	ScottMadden Management Consultants	8.928
13	DeciBio Consulting, LLC	8.923
14	Putnam	8.919
15	TriVista	8.884
16	The Poirier Group	8.86
17	Insigniam	8.803
18	The Chartis Group	8.79
19	LeapPoint	8.77
20	Blue Matter Consulting	8.753
21	Kaiser Associates	8.733
22	OC&C Strategy Consultants	8.71
23	Epsilon Economics and Epsilon Life Sciences	8.689
24	Health Advances	8.674
25	Censeo Consulting Group	8.663

Best consulting firms for diversity (global 2023)

Vault’s survey asked consultants to rate their firm’s diversity with respect to women, with respect to minorities, with respect to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals, with respect to individuals with disabilities, and with respect to armed forces veterans.

When asking consultants to assess their firm’s diversity in these categories, Vault asked them to think about hiring, promoting, mentoring and other programs.

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	ghSMART	9.327
2	Bain & Company	9.315
3	Boston Consulting Group	9.315
4	McKinsey & Company	9.195
5	BPM Advisory	9.152
6	Insigniam	9.009
7	Eagle Hill Consulting	8.96
8	The Bridgespan Group	8.881
9	LeapPoint	8.876
10	Putnam	8.869
11	EY-Parthenon	8.741
12	ScottMadden Management Consultants	8.729
13	Kenway Consulting	8.728
14	The Poirier Group	8.632
15	Publicis Sapient	8.628
16	Ignyte Group	8.58
17	The Chartis Group	8.488
18	Kearney	8.487
19	Lifescience Dynamics	8.44
20	Health Advances	8.333
21	DeciBio Consulting, LLC	8.31
22	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	8.308
23	Censeo Consulting Group	8.294
24	Epsilon Economics and Epsilon Life Sciences	8.244
25	Syneos Health	8.215

2023 Top consulting firms by compensation, benefits and work/life balance

The following lists feature the top consulting firms in three key regions: global, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), and Asia-Pacific. These firms are evaluated based on three essential criteria: compensation, benefits, and work-life balance.

The firms are scored and ranked by Vault, using surveys of working consultants, who are allowed to rate only their firm.

Best consulting firms by compensation (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	ghSMART	9.758
2	Boston Consulting Group	9.593
3	Bain & Company	9.556
4	Kenway Consulting	9.054
5	McKinsey & Company	9.024
6	DayBlink Consulting	8.952
7	The Cambridge Group, LLC	8.903
8	Cornerstone Research	8.894
9	Roland Berger	8.735
10	EY-Parthenon	8.645
11	Publicis Sapient	8.535
12	Alvarez & Marsal	8.529
13	LeapPoint	8.489
14	Keystone Strategy	8.477
15	Altman Solon	8.292
16	The Chartis Group	8.286
17	Epsilon Economics and Epsilon Life Sciences	8.195
18	Stax	8.179
19	The Bridgespan Group	8.095
20	Analysis Group	8.091
21	The Poirier Group	8.08
22	OC&C Strategy Consultants	8.075
23	Blue Matter Consulting	8.014
24	Kearney	8.009
25	L.E.K. Consulting	7.983

Best consulting firms by compensation (EMEA 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Publicis Sapient Europe	8.962
2	Bain & Company Europe	8.932
3	Advancy	8.89
4	Roland Berger Europe	8.85
5	Implement Consulting Group	8.676
6	Kx Advisors EMEA	8.6
7	OC&C Strategy Consultants Europe	8.597
8	McKinsey & Company Europe	8.282
9	Blue Matter Consulting - Europe	8.226
10	Kaiser Associates EMEA	8.188
11	Alvarez & Marsal Europe	8.174
12	Kearney EMEA	8.152
13	Strategy&, Part of the PwC Network, Europe	8.149
14	Teneo Consulting	8.063
15	Prescient Healthcare Group EMEA	7.925

Best consulting firms by compensation (Asia-Pacific 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Bain & Company Asia	8.971
2	The Brattle Group Asia	8.25
3	McKinsey & Company Asia-Pacific	8.246
4	Advancy Asia	8.059
5	OC&C Strategy Consultants Asia	8.056
6	Kearney Asia-Pacific	7.838
7	AWR Lloyd	7.816
8	Roland Berger Asia	7.692
9	L.E.K. Consulting Asia	7.683
10	Kmind	7.583
11	Alvarez & Marsal Asia	7.561
12	Syneos Health Asia	7.508
13	Arthur D. Little Asia	7.448
14	Publicis Sapient Asia-Pacific	7.394
15	Avalon Consulting	7.161

Best consulting firms by benefits (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Boston Consulting Group	9.807
2	Bain & Company	9.746
3	McKinsey & Company	9.705
4	DayBlink Consulting	9.476
5	Analysis Group	8.957
6	Eagle Hill Consulting	8.93
7	OC&C Strategy Consultants	8.902
8	Keystone Strategy	8.8
9	Cornerstone Research	8.766
10	ghSMART	8.75
11	The Bridgespan Group	8.747
12	Roland Berger	8.645
13	The Cambridge Group, LLC	8.645
14	Epsilon Economics and Epsilon Life Sciences	8.585
15	Insigniam	8.565
16	Altman Solon	8.559
17	Putnam	8.5
18	TriVista	8.488
19	Kenway Consulting	8.474
20	The Brattle Group	8.411
21	EY-Parthenon	8.38
22	ScottMadden Management Consultants	8.358
23	Censeo Consulting Group	8.308
24	Bates White Economic Consulting	8.294
25	Applied Value	8.289

Best consulting firms by benefits (EMEA 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Advancy	9.137
2	Roland Berger Europe	9.102
3	McKinsey & Company Europe	9.072
4	Bain & Company Europe	8.966
5	Publicis Sapient Europe	8.962
6	Kearney EMEA	8.435
7	Implement Consulting Group	8.415
8	OC&C Strategy Consultants Europe	8.287
9	Applied Value Europe	8.125
10	Strategy&, Part of the PwC Network, Europe	8.014
11	Teneo Consulting	7.922
12	Blue Matter Consulting - Europe	7.903
13	Prescient Healthcare Group EMEA	7.885
14	PMP Strategy	7.782
15	Emerton Europe	7.743

Best consulting firms by benefits (Asia-Pacific 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Bain & Company Asia	9.278
2	The Brattle Group Asia	9.083
3	McKinsey & Company Asia-Pacific	8.969
4	Roland Berger Asia	8.55
5	Kmind	8.438
6	Advancy Asia	8.059
7	Kearney Asia-Pacific	7.866
8	L.E.K. Consulting Asia	7.794
9	OC&C Strategy Consultants Asia	7.667
10	Syneos Health Asia	7.627
11	Redseer Strategy Consultants	7.335
12	Alvarez & Marsal Asia	7.253
13	AWR Lloyd	7.167
14	Avalon Consulting	6.855
15	Grant Thornton Australia	6.759

Best consulting firms by work/life balance (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	ghSMART	9.788
2	Eagle Hill Consulting	9.534
3	Back Bay Life Science Advisors	9.462
4	Bain & Company	9.338
5	Kenway Consulting	9.316
6	Ignyte Group	9.147
7	Insigniam	9.091
8	Epsilon Economics and Epsilon Life Sciences	9.05
9	Censeo Consulting Group	9.038
10	ScottMadden Management Consultants	9.019
11	Health Advances	9
12	Publicis Sapient	8.976
13	BPM Advisory	8.975
14	The Cambridge Group, LLC	8.938
15	LeapPoint	8.935
16	DeciBio Consulting, LLC	8.921
17	Blue Matter Consulting	8.917
18	Boston Consulting Group	8.895
19	The Bridgespan Group	8.814
20	Insight Sourcing Group	8.813
21	Putnam	8.772
22	Manifold Group	8.714
23	Kaiser Associates	8.708
24	Jabian Consulting	8.699
25	Arthur D. Little	8.667

Best consulting firms by work/life balance (EMEA 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Publicis Sapient Europe	9.615
2	Mansfield Advisors LLP	9.609
3	Forrester Europe	9.04
4	Blue Matter Consulting - Europe	8.906
5	Implement Consulting Group	8.898
6	Roland Berger Europe	8.836
7	CIL Management Consultants	8.807
8	Bain & Company Europe	8.767
9	OC&C Strategy Consultants Europe	8.656
10	Axel Springer hy GmbH	8.647
11	Teneo Consulting	8.523
12	Kx Advisors EMEA	8.5
13	Kaiser Associates EMEA	8.375
14	McKinsey & Company Europe	8.303
15	Prescient Healthcare Group EMEA	8.283

Best consulting firms by work/life balance (Asia-Pacific 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	Bain & Company Asia	9.27
2	McKinsey & Company Asia-Pacific	9.197
3	Grant Thornton Australia	9.115
4	OC&C Strategy Consultants Asia	9.1
5	Publicis Sapient Asia-Pacific	8.879
6	Syneos Health Asia	8.508
7	Roland Berger Asia	8.415
8	Forrester Asia	8.389
9	AWR Lloyd	8.103
10	L.E.K. Consulting Asia	8.061
11	Kearney Asia-Pacific	8.025
12	Strategy&, Part of the PwC Network, Asia-Pacific	7.917
13	Tech Mahindra Asia	7.886
14	Simon-Kucher Asia-Pacific	7.854
15	Advancy Asia	7.778

Top consulting firms by prestige 2023

In this section, survey respondents were asked to rate consulting firms on prestige using a scale from 1 to 10, excluding their own firm and rating only those firms with which they were familiar.

Vault's prestigious consulting firms are determined by practicing consultants themselves, not influenced or chosen by Vault. These rankings focus on perceived prestige as evaluated by consulting professionals, rather than revenue, size, or lifestyle.

Most prestigious consulting firms (NA 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	McKinsey & Company	9.058
2	Boston Consulting Group	8.948
3	Bain & Company	8.903
4	Deloitte Consulting LLP	7.173
5	EY-Parthenon	7.013
6	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	6.798
7	Booz Allen Hamilton	6.627
8	Accenture	6.623
9	Ernst & Young (Consulting Practice) NA	6.62
10	Oliver Wyman	6.611
11	L.E.K. Consulting	6.435
12	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	6.292
13	Kearney	6.29
14	Lockheed Martin Corporation (IT Consulting)	6.25
15	IBM Global Business Services	6.067
16	Gartner	5.991
17	The Bridgespan Group	5.846
18	Northrop Grumman Corporation (IT Consulting)	5.665
19	Mercer LLC	5.66
20	Alvarez & Marsal	5.658
21	ZS	5.584
22	AlixPartners, LLP	5.545
23	Charles River Associates	5.511
24	Analysis Group	5.445
25	Roland Berger	5.429

Most prestigious consulting firms (EMEA 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	McKinsey & Company	9.105
2	Boston Consulting Group Europe	8.887
3	Bain & Company Europe	8.48
4	Oliver Wyman Europe	6.904
5	Kearney EMEA	6.579
6	Roland Berger Europe	6.528
7	Strategy&, Part of the PwC Network, Europe	6.33
8	EY-Parthenon Europe	6.054
9	L.E.K. Consulting Europe	5.894
10	Simon-Kucher Europe	5.739
11	OC&C Strategy Consultants Europe	5.714
12	PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) International Ltd.	5.688
13	Deloitte (European Consulting Practice)	5.663
14	Accenture Europe	5.452
15	Arthur D. Little EMEA	5.37
16	AlixPartners Europe	5.303
17	EY (Ernst & Young) Consulting Practice Europe	5.185
18	Alvarez & Marsal Europe	5.091
19	IBM Global Services Europe	5.091
20	Porsche Consulting GmbH	5.084
21	Gartner Europe	5.012
22	KPMG (Europe Consulting Practice)	4.938
23	Mercer Limited Europe	4.838
24	Capgemini Europe	4.829
25	IQVIA Europe	4.75

Most prestigious consulting firms (Asia-Pacific 2023)

Ranking	Firms	Score
1	McKinsey & Company Asia-Pacific	9.123
2	Boston Consulting Group Asia	8.774
3	Bain & Company Asia	8.693
4	Kearney Asia-Pacific	7.147
5	Oliver Wyman Asia-Pacific	6.824
6	Deloitte (Asia Consulting Practice)	6.668
7	Strategy&, Part of the PwC Network, Asia-Pacific	6.62
8	EY-Parthenon Asia-Pacific	6.618
9	PwC Asia (Consulting)	6.545
10	Roland Berger Asia	6.51
11	L.E.K. Consulting Asia	6.502
12	Accenture Asia	6.474
13	EY (Ernst & Young) Consulting Practice Asia	6.288
14	KPMG (Asia Consulting Practice)	6.204
15	IBM Global Services Asia	6.107
16	Gartner Asia Pacific	6.075
17	ZS Asia-Pacific	6.004
18	Mercer Limited Asia	5.95
19	Arthur D. Little Asia	5.912
20	Alvarez & Marsal Asia	5.835
21	Capgemini Asia	5.711
22	OC&C Strategy Consultants Asia	5.683
23	Tata Consultancy Services Asia	5.679
24	IQVIA Asia	5.592
25	Cognizant Asia-Pacific	5.529

Top consulting firm by industry 2023

The following lists consist of the best consulting firms in each industry, which is compiled by Vault using surveys of working consultants.

Consultants are asked to vote for 3 firms as the best in each industry, but not allowed to rank their own firm. The “%” is the percentage of consultants who vote for that firm as the best in the given industry.

Best management consulting firms (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	McKinsey & Company	71.19
2	Boston Consulting Group	69.79
3	Bain & Company	63.89
4	Deloitte Consulting LLP	18.56
5	Accenture	12.09
6	Ernst & Young (Consulting Practice) NA	7.71
7	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	6.06
8	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	5.79
9	Booz Allen Hamilton	5.19
10	Oliver Wyman	4.46
11	EY-Parthenon	4.17
12	L.E.K. Consulting	3.06
13	Kearney	2.87
14	Advancy NA	2.22
15	AlixPartners, LLP	2.03

Best strategy consulting firms (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	Bain & Company	74.18
2	Boston Consulting Group	70.7
3	Deloitte Consulting LLP	19.48
4	Accenture	14.53
5	EY-Parthenon	13.06
6	Oliver Wyman	12.21
7	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	10.58
8	L.E.K. Consulting	9.77
9	Ernst & Young (Consulting Practice) NA	6.96
10	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	6.37
11	Kearney	5.3
12	Advancy NA	2.26
13	IBM Global Business Services	2.04
14	AlixPartners, LLP	1.8
15	Roland Berger	1.69

Best financial consulting firms (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	Boston Consulting Group	32.22
2	Ernst & Young (Consulting Practice) NA	32.12
3	Bain & Company	31
4	Deloitte Consulting LLP	30.27
5	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	22.3
6	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	18.27
7	Accenture	15.01
8	Oliver Wyman	13.75
9	FTI Consulting, Inc.	8.65
10	Booz Allen Hamilton	7.58
11	AlixPartners, LLP	6.17
12	Alvarez & Marsal	5.93
13	L.E.K. Consulting	5.54
14	Grant Thornton LLP (Consulting Practice)	4.81
15	Charles River Associates	2.87

Best healthcare consulting firms (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	Boston Consulting Group	30.48
2	ZS	22.47
3	L.E.K. Consulting	21.97
4	Bain & Company	20.36
5	ClearView Healthcare Partners	19.41
6	IQVIA (formerly IMS Consulting Group)	17.3
7	Deloitte Consulting LLP	14.29
8	Accenture	10.85
9	Huron	9.68
10	Trinity Life Sciences	9.29
11	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	6.56
12	Ernst & Young (Consulting Practice) NA	6.4
13	Putnam	5.9
14	Charles River Associates	5.67
15	Oliver Wyman	5.67

Best IT consulting firms (Operations) (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	Accenture	56.98
2	IBM Global Business Services	23.42
3	Deloitte Consulting LLP	22.12
4	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	13.01
5	Capgemini	12.23
6	Boston Consulting Group	11.1
7	Bain & Company	10.75
8	Infosys Consulting	9.8
9	Cognizant	9.54
10	Tata Consultancy Services	8.76
11	Booz Allen Hamilton	8.41
12	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	8.15
13	Slalom Consulting	5.64
14	Wipro Limited	3.82
15	Gartner	3.56

Best IT consulting firms (Strategy) (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	Accenture	58.9
2	IBM Global Business Services	26.38
3	Deloitte Consulting LLP	25.35
4	Boston Consulting Group	16.38
5	Bain & Company	12.83
6	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	10.24
7	Capgemini	10.16
8	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	8.58
9	Infosys Consulting	8.5
10	Booz Allen Hamilton	7.95
11	Cognizant	7.87
12	Gartner	7.17
13	Tata Consultancy Services	6.14
14	Lockheed Martin Corporation (IT Consulting)	4.57
15	Slalom Consulting	4.49

Best technology/media/telecommunications consulting firms (global 2023)

Ranking	Firms	% of Votes
1	Boston Consulting Group	37.93
2	Bain & Company	34.86
3	Accenture	34.27
4	Deloitte Consulting LLP	20.92
5	Ernst & Young (Consulting Practice) NA	11.14
6	KPMG LLP (Advisory)	10.03
7	IBM Global Business Services	9.86
8	PwC Advisory/Strategy&	9.1
9	Booz Allen Hamilton	8.93
10	Gartner	7.23
11	L.E.K. Consulting	7.06
12	Capgemini	5.61
13	Slalom Consulting	4.51
14	Kearney	4.08
15	Cognizant	3.32

Largest consulting firms by revenue

The following lists consist of the largest consulting firms in December 2022, measured by consulting revenue generated in 2022 (revenue from other areas of business – such as auditing, accounting or other professional services is not counted).

Due to variations in methodology and definitions, data from different sources may yield different listings.

Largest consulting firms by revenue (global 2022)

Ranking	Firms	Revenue
1	Accenture Consulting	$34B
2	Deloitte Consulting	$25.8B
3	Tata Consulting Services	$23.9B
4	PwC Advisory	$20.7B
5	Capgemini Consulting	$ 18.7B
6	Cognizant Technology Solutions	$16.8B
7	Infosys Consulting	$16.3B
8	Ernst & Young Advisory	$13.8B
9	KPMG Advisory	$13.6B
10	CGI Group	$12.1B
11	Cisco Systems Consulting	$12B
12	The Boston Consulting Group	$11B
13	McKinsey & Company	$10.5B
14	Booz Allen Hamilton	$8.3B
15	HP Enterprise Technology Services	$7.8B
16	Bain & Company	5.8B
17	Mercer LLC	$5B
18	IBM Global Services	$4.7B
19	SAP Services Consulting	$3.5B
20	Oracle Consulting	$3.4B

Which firm should I choose?

Short-term perspective vs long-term perspective

The choice of firm should depend on what you want out of a consulting career. Most people approach a consulting career in two ways: the short-term “three-years-then-out” and the long-term consultant.

In short terms, for building your professional portfolio and network, consulting is a no-brainer – that is, if you can get in. For this approach, MBB firms are undoubtedly the best options, firstly for the prestige, and secondly for the excellent learning and networking environment. Next down the line are Tier 2 and Big 4 groups, then the boutique firms.
In long terms, however, it ultimately boils down to your skill set and preferences. Working at large firms such as MBB can be extremely stressful, but they offer better salaries and benefits. Smaller boutiques offer less, but allow you to preserve some work-life balance and sanity.

Either way, consulting firms are highly selective about their candidates; at MBB firms, the acceptance rate is even lower than 1%; even the small boutiques need to keep their standards up to maintain their work quality and reputation.

You can start your prep process and enhance your chance at these top firms by subscribing to our newsletter, our Youtube channel, and read other articles on this website on specific consulting firms, resume writing, test preparation, and case interviews.

Which firm in MBB is good for me?

When considering MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) consulting firms, it is essential to understand their distinctions. Each firm possesses its own unique strengths and specializes in specific areas.

The choice of the most suitable firm depends on your individual goals. You can refer to some of the following things to evaluate which consulting firm is best for you:

McKinsey is generally the most prestigious

McKinsey is widely recognized as the leading consulting firm globally, known for its prestigious reputation. It is an ideal choice if you want to build a strong profile and gain valuable experience before exploring other career options.

Compared with the other two, McKinsey boasts a vast support network, including influential individuals and organizations from different sectors. This network provides valuable resources and connections, empowering McKinsey consultants to focus on their responsibility.

McKinsey is the strongest of the MBB firms in the public sector (i.e. governments and NGOs). If you plan to join these organizations later on, McKinsey is the way to go.

Bain tent to be more homely

Unlike McKinsey, Bain is well-known for its homely working environment, focusing on creating a friendly and supportive culture. It's a great choice if you value work-life balance and a more relaxed atmosphere.

At Bain, you can expect a friendly and collaborative work environment with fewer travel requirements. This means you can work comfortably without extensive time away from home.

Working at Bain offers the advantage of diverse tasks. You will have the opportunity to work on various projects and industries, which helps you grow professionally and gain a broader skill set.

Bain stands out in MBB firms regarding financial projects, particularly in funds and private equity. The firm has a strong reputation for delivering exceptional results in these areas.

BCG is the balanced one

BCG strikes a balance between prestige and a homely working environment, compared with Bain and McKinsey. It offers a prestigious reputation along with a pleasant work atmosphere.

BCG's recruitment process is also rigorous. However, according to reports, they seem to be more open with candidates from academic backgrounds compared with McKinsey and Bain.

BCG excels in transformation and merging projects for corporate groups. They have a strong focus on these areas and provide ample opportunities for you to gain valuable experience and expertise in this field.

Each office is different!

In conclusion, although the rankings provided are based on actual survey data, it is important to note that they represent global or continent-wide averages.

Each consulting firm has multiple offices in different regions, and the working styles and cultures can vary significantly.

To obtain the most accurate information, networking with individuals currently working in specific offices is the best approach. They can provide firsthand insights into the nuances and differences within each firm's regional branches.

Where can I find consulting jobs?

If you live in the USA – the home of management consulting itself – you can find vacancies right here at our partner Jooble.org.

They are one of the largest employment websites worldwide, with over 2,000,000 users daily, where you can find some 1,000,000 jobs from 21,000 sites. You can find many boutique and start-up consulting firms here – those with much less publicity than the MBB/Big 4 giants, those you won’t easily find elsewhere online.

At MConsultingPrep, we believe anyone can make it to consulting!