Two MBB offers - Can I negotiate?

Hi,

Congrats bij receiving 2 offers!

You can always ask, but they will likely not change your compensation package.

The best they can do is giving you a one time signing bonus.

Good luck!

Mattijs

Hi,

Firstly, many congratulations, that is truly an enviable position to be in!

In terms of negotiations - my advice would be to negotiate but not to use BCG as a leverage as it may make them upset (unless you absolutely have to). You can say that you are very keen on McKinsey, but the offer is behind some other ones you have gotten, is there any chance they are able to match? Their response will give you a good indication of how flexible they might be.

Best,

Udayan

Hi There!

Congrats! Getting an offer at MBB is difficult enough so getting two is a testament to the hard work you put in! As an experienced hire you might have a little bit more luck than if you were recruiting from college. However, they both tend to be pretty firm. If anything, you would have a better chance with McKinsey getting them to match or close to it versus BCG to raise their offer. 

What I would urge though is to base your decision more on culture, office/geo location, type of work (Industry & Function) than comp. Reasoning is that comp will scale pretty quickly at MBB and that 10% that is higher at BCG could easily be made up somewhere depending on comp structure changes, promotion timelines, and bonuses. You really cannot go wrong with either but make sure you do your due diligence and figure out where you would see yourself.

You can try!

I doubt they’ll match unless you’re going in at AP or above, but no harm in trying, as long as done respectfully

Hello there,

Congrats!! =)

Well, it doesn't hurt trying.

Think about other benefits that may be more flexible as well, like the signing bonus for instance.

Best,

Mari

First of all, congratulations — not only are you lucky, but clearly also deserving. Just getting two MBB offers is a strong signal of your value.

Now, to your question — and as others have hinted — base salary at MBB is rarely negotiable. These firms have tight compensation bands by level, geography, and experience, and they try to avoid making exceptions to avoid internal imbalance. That said, what is negotiable are the extras.

In my own case (also with BCG), I had an honest, light conversation with the recruiter and ended up getting meaningful support — not in base salary, but through relocation assistance and some flexibility on timing. I’ve also seen others get help with temporary housing, visa costs, signing bonuses, or schooling support for kids depending on the situation.

So yes, I do recommend having a transparent, polite chat with the recruiter. Frame it less as a demand, more as a practical consideration. For example:

“I’m incredibly excited to join, and I want to be transparent that I’ve also received an offer from another firm. I understand salary isn’t usually adjusted, but I’d like to ask if there’s any room for support in other areas — such as relocation or setup costs — as this would make a big difference for me.”

They’ve heard this before, and a reasonable ask rarely hurts — especially when done with the right tone.

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the offers!

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

• First of all, typically, it is unfortunately impossible to negotiative your base salary or performance bonuses.
• Moreover, while base salary and performance bonuses are usually non-negotiable, you may consider negotiating a relocation bonus if applicable. You can find more on exactly this topic here.

You can find more on this topic here: Salaries in the consulting industry.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen