Which are the highest-paying boutique consulting firms?

If you’re hoping for a high-paying career in consulting, you’ll likely be researching the Big Three of McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. But limiting yourself to focusing on these may be limiting your opportunities. If you cast your net wider and look at boutique consulting firms, you’ll find that some match or even exceed salaries than the better-known companies.

Boutique firms are smaller in size than the Big Three. They typically have close connections with local clients or operate within a specific area of expertise.

For instance, consultants in boutique firms may focus on telecommunications and the media industry, or solely work with clients in the clean energy space. These companies are a good fit for MBA grads with both an interest in consulting and a specific area of interest.

Here, we break down the 25 highest-paying boutique consulting firms based on 2026 compensation data from Management Consulted.

All the firms in this list offer MBAs a base starting salary of $160,000 or more. The list is in ascending order, starting with the lowest base salary.

Boutique consulting firms with the highest MBA salaries

25. Compass Lexecon

Compass Lexecon is a boutique consulting firm focusing on economic consulting for law firms, corporations, and governments. It pays incoming MBA graduates a base salary of up to $160,000.

24. Roland Berger Strategy Consultants

International management consultancy Roland Berger is based in Munich and works with a wide range of clients across the globe. It’s one of the world’s leading strategy consulting firms.

Roland Berger pays incoming MBA hires a base salary of $160,000, with a performance bonus of up to $32,000. There is also a signing bonus of $35,000.

23. Innosight (Acquired by Huron)

Innosight was founded in 2000 by Clayton Christensen, a senior Harvard Business School professor, and Mark W. Johnson, an HBS alum. The firm specializes in growth strategy.

Offering competitive salaries with large bonuses, Innosight base packages begin at $165,000 for new hires, with the possibility to earn a performance bonus of up to $57,750 and a signing bonus of $35,000.

The firm also offers unlimited PTO vacation for its employees.

22. IBM Global Business Services/IBM Consulting

Multinational company IBM focuses on technology consulting, specifically within topics such as digital strategy, cloud innovation, and interactive experiences.

IBM MBA consultants can expect a starting base salary of up to $165,000 after being hired, with a signing bonus of $35,000 and performance bonuses up to $16,000.

21. Tata Consultancy Services

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian consulting firm offering IT services, consulting, and business solutions. It operates in more than 40 countries.

The company pays MBA consultants a starting base salary of $165,000, with a performance bonus of up to $30,000 and a signing bonus of $25,000.

Read More: For more information, check out our article What does a management consultant do?

20. The Chartis Group

The Chartis Group is the leading healthcare advisory firm in the US. It offers services to healthcare providers, as well as payers, health services, investors, and technology companies.

The firm pays a base salary of $167,000 to MBA hires, alongside a performance bonus of up to $33,400. It also provides a $25k signing bonus, rising to $30k for interns who return to take on a full-time role.

19. Maine Point

A consultancy that specializes in supply chain services, Maine Point uses data analytics and simulation to offer tailored consultancy services to a range of corporate clients.

Working for the company as an MBA hire earns you a base salary of $170,000, while you’ll also gain an additional 0.5% of profits from every project you work on.

18. Health Advances LLC

A consulting firm specializing in science, technology, and business strategy, Health Advances works with healthcare clients to provide solutions across technologies, products, and services.

Health Advances pays MBA hires a base salary of $170,000, with performance bonuses reaching $42,500, and signing bonuses $10,000.

17. Simon-Kucher & Partners

If strategy, marketing, pricing, and sales consulting is what you’re after, then Simon-Kucher & Partners could be the company for you.

It's one of the highest-paying boutique consulting firms, with a starting salary for MBA graduates of $170,000. On top of that, new recruits will also land a signing bonus of $25,000 and performance bonus of up to $40,800.

16. Altman Solon

Altman Solon is the world’s largest boutique consulting company to focus exclusively on Telecoms, Media, and Technology (TMT).

It pays incoming MBAs a base salary of $170,000, with a performance bonus of up to $42,500, and a signing bonus of $30,000.

Read More: For more information, check out our article What skills do you need to be a successful management consultant? 

15. Mars & Co

Specializing in business and operational strategy together with strategic advisory, Mars & Co has seven offices across three continents.

It also offers highly competitive pay packages for MBA hires. They can expect a base salary of $170,000 in their first year, which could rise to more than $220,000 once you factor in the performance bonus (up to $34,000) and signing bonus ($20,000).

14. Slalom Consulting

Slalom Consulting is a global consulting firm that provides business, strategy, and technology services to clients in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific region. It is one of the largest firms in this list, employing more than 12,000 people across the globe.

Slalom MBA consultants can earn up to $175,000 in base salary depending on where they’re located.

13. ZS Associates

Consulting, software, and technology are the crux of the work at ZS Associates. The firm pays MBA hires a starting base salary of $175,000, but that’s not the only appeal of working there.

ZS Associates also offers a performance bonus of up to $30,000, a signing bonus of $30,000, and relocation pay of up to $5,000. MBA interns who return for full-time roles are also given a second year MBA tuition reimbursement.

12. Accenture Strategy

MBAs joining Accenture Strategy can expect a base salary of $175,000. Each new MBA hire receives a performance bonus of $40,000 in their first year, with top performers earning $15,000 on top of that.

Accenture offers a signing bonus of $35,000, with interns returning for full-time positions offered an extra $17,500 early sign on bonus. Finally, returning interns also receive a tuition reimbursement of up to $80,000 ($50,000 after tax).

11. Alvarez & Marsal (A&M)

Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) works with some of the world’s largest businesses helping to navigate their organizational challenges. The firm provides turnaround management and performance improvement advice from more than 80 global offices.

It’s also one of the highest-paying boutique consulting firms, with MBA hires earning a starting salary of $175,000. For new hires there is also a huge performance bonus of up to $87,500—the most among the boutique consultancies—and a signing bonus of $25,000.

Read More: For more information, check out our article How to get hired by The Big Three consulting firms

10. DGCpartners

DGCpartners is an independent management consulting and IT services company.

DGC pays incoming MBA hires a huge $180,000, which is on par with the Big Three consulting firms. There’s no information available about bonuses.

9. FTI Consulting

Based out of Washington DC, FTI Consulting is a business consultancy firm with a particular focus on financial and economic consulting. Services range from corporate finance and restructuring to technology and communications.

FTI is one of a number of firms on this list to offer base salaries of $180,000 to new MBA hires. It also offers a performance bonus of up to $40,250 along with a signing bonus of $30,000.

8. OC&C Strategy Consultants

OC&C Strategy Consultants focuses on an array of industries, including consumer goods; telecommunications, media, and technology (TMT); leisure; retail; and analytics.

The company is one of the highest-paying boutique consulting firms. OC&C pays MBA hires a base salary of $180,000, with a performance bonus of up to $60,000 and a signing bonus of $25,000. It also pays a relocation fee of up to $7,500.

7. Galt & Company (Alix Partners)

Galt & Company was acquired by AlixPartners in 2021. It is a boutique consulting firm that builds strategies and organizational capabilities for firms to improve and sustain shareholder value. It pays MBA hires a starting base salary of $180,000.

Consultants at Galt & Company benefit from an impressive bonus scheme. Performance bonuses are at least $60k, however they are also uncapped, meaning you could go on to earn substantially more.

6. Alix Partners

Quick solutions for clients is at the heart of AlixPartners' work. The company’s QuickStrike® methodology involves identifying issues affecting a company’s performance, looking at the available options, and planning a solution in a matter of weeks.

That requires sound business knowledge, which is partly why MBA starting salaries amount to $180,000, with a minimum (and uncapped) performance bonus of $60,000. The company also offers a signing bonus of $35,000 and a relocation bonus of up to $5,000.

Read More: For more information, check out our article Consulting salaries for MBA & master's graduates

5. LEK Consulting

LEK Consulting is a British management consulting firm that focuses primarily on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and operations.

MBA hires at LEK can expect to earn a high base salary of $185,000—which is similar to the MBB firms. That salary comes with a performance bonus of up to $25,000 and a signing bonus of $30,000.

4. EPAM

A leading digital transformation services provider, EPAM specializes in digital and physical product development as well as digital platform engineering services.

EPAM offers its MBA hires impressive base salaries of $186,000, with new hires also receiving a signing bonus of $35,000.

Top 3 highest paying boutique consulting firms

While all of the boutique consulting firms here offer high starting salaries, three firms stand out as the highest paying boutique consulting firms...

3. Kearney

Kearney works with over three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500. The company is one of the highest-paying boutique consulting firms and pays MBA hires a starting base salary of $188,000. Again, that’s almost on par with the Big Three.

There is also a huge performance bonus of $65,800 and a signing bonus of up to $25,000. Returning interns receive an extra $10,000 on top of their signing bonus.

2. Oliver Wyman

US-based financial services management consulting firm Oliver Wyman offers clients its specialist expertise in operations, strategy, organizational transformation, and risk management. It currently has more than 70 offices across 30 countries.

Oliver Wyman pays incoming MBA hires a base salary of $190,000, which is around the same level as the Big Three. There’s also a performance bonus of up to $36,100 and a signing bonus of up to $30,000, while if you sign on early with the company you can earn an extra $15,000 in bonuses.

1. Analysis Group

One of just two boutique consultancies to offer salaries of $190,000, Analysis Group focuses on economic, financial, and strategy consulting for law firms, corporations, and government agencies.

Working for the company as an MBA hire will see you earn a base salary of $190,000. You’ll also earn a performance bonus of up to $47,500 and a signing bonus of $45,000, bringing the total compensation above $280,000. That figure is larger than both McKinsey and BCG.

Management Consulted’s list of the highest-paying boutique consulting firms makes one thing clear: there are far more consulting career opportunities out there than the Big Three firms.

In fact, some of the firms in this list offer pay packages that equal or even exceed those on offer at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. So if you’re thinking about moving into consulting, you shouldn’t rule out a boutique firm.

Best boutique consulting firms for compensation

The salary figures in this article are for those joining management consulting positions in 2025. The data was sourced by ManagementConsulted from interview prep clients who received written job offers.