Kearney career path: Difference Senior Business Analyst and Associate

Hey there ?,

At Kearney, the typical entry-level consulting roles depend on your education and experience level. Here’s the breakdown:

1️⃣ Business Analyst (BA) vs. Senior Business Analyst (SBA) vs. Associate

✅ Business Analyst (BA):

• Usually for undergraduate hires or pre-MBA candidates.
• Focus on data analysis, research, and supporting consultants in solving business problems.
• Promotion to Senior Business Analyst typically happens in 1-2 years.

✅ Senior Business Analyst (SBA):

• Some master’s degree graduates (especially from European schools) are hired directly as SBAs, skipping the BA role.
• More responsibilities than a BA—leading workstreams, client interactions, and more strategic problem-solving.
• Usually a stepping stone to Associate after 1-2 years.

✅ Associate:

• Typically for MBA graduates or master’s holders with previous consulting/industry experience.
• A higher starting level than SBA, with more client ownership and project leadership responsibilities.
• Can lead BAs/SBAs and work more independently on problem-solving and recommendations.

2️⃣ Can You Start as a Senior Business Analyst Right After a Master’s?

• Yes, it’s possible—especially if you studied at a top-tier university and have relevant internships or work experience.
• If you have significant prior experience, you might even start as an Associate, but most master's graduates without full-time consulting experience start as SBAs.

3️⃣ Key Differences Between SBA and Associate

4️⃣ Final Thoughts

• If you’re coming from a master’s program, you’ll likely enter as an SBA (unless you have substantial work experience).
• If your goal is faster career progression, SBA is not far from Associate, and you can be promoted within 1-2 years.
• If you have an MBA or strong consulting experience, you could start directly as an Associate.

Let me know if you need any further clarifications! Best, Alessa ?

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, while you may be right that "business analyst" is a term more commonly used in finance, I would advise you not to let that distract you. On the Kearney career page, you can look at the names of the different roles, where you can see that "(Senior) Business Analyst" is the name of the entry level position.
• Moreover, please look at the job descriptions to see which role you qualify for.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Kearney application, pre-interview assessment and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

This is the typical career path in consulting. The pyramid is the same across all top firms (although naming conventions might differ).

• Associate would be for MBAs, PhDs, or experienced professionals with 2-3 years of work experience.
• The tasks and responsibilities for BAs and ASCs are very similar, yet expectations and promotion windows differ a bit based on seniority.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

You can find the answer to this question directly at Kearney’s career page (link).

Best,

Mari

While terminology may change across firms, entry level roles in consulting are usually as business analysist or variants.

Regarding differences... not a lot of difference between business analyst vs. associate, although a higher level of autonomy and ability to guide more junior members is expected.