Strategy Simplified S22E4: The 2026 Consulting Salary Report Just Dropped
Jan 23, 2026
A quick dive into the new 2026 consulting salary data. Topics include why starting pay held steady, which specialties are seeing compensation growth, and how rising utilization is shaping hiring demand. Practical next steps for candidates and recruiters are highlighted.
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Flat Starting Salaries Explained
- Starting salaries at pre-MBA and post-MBA entry levels stayed flat from 2025 to 2026.
- Jay Feth attributes this to structural efficiency like leaner teams, AI productivity, and disciplined base-pay strategies.
Where Salary Growth Is Concentrated
- Compensation and hiring growth are concentrated in specific practice areas like AI, cloud, supply chain, healthcare ops, and growth strategy.
- Firms favor candidates with AI fluency, industry depth, and execution experience over pure strategy profiles.
Target High-Growth Practice Areas
- Target roles in AI-enabled transformation, cloud, supply chain, healthcare ops, or growth strategy to increase pay prospects.
- Focus on developing AI fluency, industry depth, and execution experience to be prioritized by firms.