Q&A: Senior Consultant / Big 4 FS Consulting (Nontraditional Entry)

About

Ask me anything about big 4 consulting, how to get in, etc. My path was a little funky - here it is without being too personally identifying:

Nontarget school, 3.3 GPA
1 year NFP experience prior to joining firm
2 years assurance
2 years commercial MC (promoted after first year)
1 year FS MC

Right now I work on mostly strategic projects within my slice of FS, and happy to help anyone who's trying to break in or just curious about the industry.

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10 Comments
 

I wanted out of audit myself, but it's not really necessary to point it out on every single accounting-related thread.

I'd expect people who claim to like consulting to understand business models and such. Patrick et al have put accounting content on WSO off and on for a long time, so you'e not special shitting on accounting. Just part of a growing group of people who should scroll and read something else.

 

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Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
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  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
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  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
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  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
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  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
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