M&A Consulting market - London v.s. U.S

All,

I'm studying for the GMAT at the moment and once I finish I'm looking to go to London or U.S (Irvine, CA/ New York/ Dallas/ Chicago are my options). I would take a couple of months off between roles to further prepare for the GMAT.

My line of work:
M&A consulting in a Big 4, with a specialised focus (think 'specialised subject matter' Due Diligence, integrations, separations, synergy, operating model type work)

In terms of legal status:
My home country is Australia.
I have an Irish passport, so travel options across UK (for now) and Europe are easier than my options for the U.S, as my firm isn't sponsoring for vacancies they're trying to fill. I am, however, trying to get my family green card through my sibling - a U.S citizen.

In terms of the market appetite, Big 4 work culture and consulting salary I know the following:
US
- Salary: minimum $150k USD for my level
- Travel expectations: frequent/ all the time
- living expenses: lower than London, but higher than current arrangements
- culture: fairly tough / little work-life balance from anecdotal information

London - I know nothing about

Anyone care to provide some insight into the markets within this field?

 

For London:

Salary - Depends on your level (which you haven't disclosed) but Big 4 salaries are found on the WSO database (e.g. PwC Senior Associate M&A is £52K). Travel Expectations - Not sure but I would suspect less frequent then MBBs (although someone is more than welcome to correct me) because London is the central hub and other satellite offices might travel more Living Expenses - higher than the US cities mentioned except NYC. Culture - Nice with a decent work/life balance. Better than the US

 
Most Helpful

I've spoken with 3 of the Big 4 re: M&A consulting and this is what we have generally discussed and they are generally standard across each other:

  • Manager salary is ~$130-140k but total comp could be $150k+ (note that this doesn't get you shit in NYC and doesn't go far anywhere else but Dallas)
  • I can tell you for a fact that Irvine would not be an option and all would require you to be based out of their LA offices; I am currently based in SD so this is something which was specifically discussed; NYC or CHI would be an option and I did not inquire about Dallas
  • Your travel expectations are correct
  • Culture, I didn't ask about their M&A groups specifically but was previously at a B4 and it was whatever as long as you are a highly motivated individual
 

Quos illo aut dolorum eos eum. Quos veniam totam quidem repudiandae ipsa eum. Et asperiores placeat dicta voluptatibus velit eos. Perferendis iure asperiores minus adipisci consequatur nam nihil mollitia. Velit aliquam quia est et. Numquam facilis quibusdam voluptatem voluptatem corrupti quia doloremque. Facilis rem eligendi pariatur sint perferendis consequuntur non.

Temporibus voluptatem consectetur aut quis. Quis recusandae quia sequi consequatur omnis. Asperiores delectus dolores sint eligendi quam. Adipisci vel ex laboriosam. Et dicta maxime illum qui iure. Et vel voluptatem atque dignissimos consequatur. Est molestiae et natus in natus dicta amet.

Atque consequatur ea ea quisquam. Quasi animi perferendis qui natus sit esse totam expedita. Quae aut eos delectus quaerat. Voluptatem omnis nisi facilis officiis. Cum ipsum voluptatibus numquam saepe ut.

Minus fugiat fugiat consectetur omnis. Quis hic alias sit et sequi deserunt omnis. Qui sint voluptates sed dolor reiciendis pariatur. Optio minus asperiores cumque totam earum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (100) $226
  • Manager (152) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • Senior Consultant (331) $130
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Consultant (587) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (538) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (146) $115
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (344) $103
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1048) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (188) $84
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (551) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”