Consulting is one of the highest-paying career paths in Australia, with average annual salaries ranging from A$78K to A$135K, depending on firm, experience level, and location.
Top consulting firms in Australia offer the highest compensation, especially in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
Consulting salaries in Australia increase significantly with experience, rising from around A$120K at entry level to A$300K+ for senior managers and partners, including bonuses and profit sharing.
Consulting is one of the highest paying jobs in Australia. A consultant makes an average annual salary of A$78K - A$135K. However, you can earn a higher or lower amount than this depending on the firm, experience, city, and other factors.
This guide to consulting salaries in Australia will help you understand how such factors can affect your income. We will also explore the salary structure, top paying firms, and salary progression with experience to help you assess your expectations of this career path.
How Are Consulting Salaries Structured in Australia?
The salary of a consultant in Australia includes a base pay and bonuses. The base salary is usually quoted as an annual figure that’s fixed until it’s reviewed, for instance during promotions, while the bonuses vary by year depending on individual performance, overall firm performance, and industry outlook
Besides the base salary and bonuses, some consultants especially at the senior ranks can get additional financial benefits. These include profit sharing and shares incentive programs or stock options.
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Which Factors Influence Your Salary in Consulting in Australia?
While every consultant gets a base salary and bonuses, the exact individual pay is influenced by factors such as geographical location, experience, and the specific firm. Here’s how each of these factors affect a consultant's salary in Australia.
Location
Salaries in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane tend to be higher than other areas. The higher salaries are designed to match the higher living costs of those cities. Besides, most consulting firms have offices in the major cities and offering competitive pay helps attract and retain talent. For instance, business analysts in Sydney get an average base pay of $93K - $125K while those in Canberra make about $71K - $113K annually.
Experience
The experience level also affects consulting salaries, mainly in two ways. As consultants gain more experience, they climb up the consulting career ladder. The higher ranks translates into greater responsibilities, and naturally increased income. For instance, the average base pay for a business analyst in Australia is $95K - $125K while a senior business analyst makes $130K - $150K annually.
Specialization which occurs with more experience also affects income. Specialized consulting roles can command much higher salaries, exceeding $150,000 annually for experienced professionals in high-demand fields like finance and technology.
The Specific Firm
Another factor that has a huge impact on consulting salaries in Australia is the specific firm you work for. Generally, large and prestigious multinational firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain pay more than other companies including smaller or boutique firms. A business analyst at McKinsey can get a total average pay of $110K, while one at Accenture gets 74K, and a graduate consultant at Nous Group receives $81K.
What Are the Top Paying Consulting Firms in Australia?
The top paying consulting firms in Australia include the elite MBB firms (McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain and company), the "Big 4" accounting firms (Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG), and Accenture. Below is a brief overview of each of these firms.
Accenture
Accenture is one of the well-paying consulting firms in Australia. The firm operates in five main industry groups including strategy, digital marketing (Accenture Song), technology, operations, and digital engineering (Industry X).
Accenture is particularly known for its strength in technology consulting, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and enterprise software implementation. Students and recent graduates can join Accenture’s Strategy & Consulting team through the Early Careers opportunities. Their offices in Australia & New Zealand are in Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Auckland, and Wellington.
Bain & Company
Bain & Company is a prestigious management consulting firm founded in 1973 in Boston by Bill Bain and his colleagues from Boston Consulting Group. The firm is well-known for pioneering innovations such as the Net Promoter Score and results-based fee structures.
Bain Australia recruits graduates or those about to graduate from undergraduate or Master’s degree programs through their Associate Consultant (AC) recruitment campaign. The AC campaign takes place between February and March every year and targets those without prior professional experience.
However, those with professional experience can apply all year round for open positions. Bain accepts professionals with less than 5 years of work experience into the associate consultant role and those with 5+ years experience into the consultant position.
BCG
Boston Consulting Group (BCG Australia) ranks well among the top graduate employers in Australia. If you’re working on your undergraduate, advanced degree, or MBA, you can kickstart a full-time consulting career at BCG by participating in their consulting internships. Joining BCG as an experienced professional at the junior consultant level requires at least three years of full-time work experience in any area like law, engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship.
BCG also offers a generalist consulting career path where you can start out as an associate with zero to three years experience and progress to the ranks of consultant, project leader, principal partner, managing director, and partner.
Deloitte
Deloitte is the largest of the Big Four accounting firms by headcount and revenue. Their Australia’s consulting business is found under Monitor Deloitte which is within the Deloitte’s Strategy, Risk & Transactions (SRT) division. They hire people with various degrees including Psychology, Commerce, Engineering, science, and Economics.
Deloitte Australia offers a graduate program for those in their final year of university or those who graduated within the last two years. The program application opens twice annually in February/March and in July/August. The firm also welcomes applications from international students without Australian permanent residence.
EY
Ernst & Young (EY) provides consulting, assurance, tax and transaction services. They offer consulting in different areas like customer experience, cybersecurity, risk, supply chain, technology, and internal audit. EY Australia offers these student and graduate programs:
Graduate Program: Meant for those in final year of college and those who graduated not more than two years ago as undergraduates or postgraduates.
Vacationer Program: Ideal for anyone in the penultimate year of their studies.
Indigenous Graduate Program: Reserved for final year students and recent graduates.
The career hierarchy at EY’s consulting division progresses from consultant to senior consultant, manager, senior manager, director, and finally partner.
KPMG
KPMG is one of the Big Four global professional services firms alongside Deloitte, PwC, and EY. The firm is headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands and was founded through the merger of Klynveld Main Goerdeler and Peat Marwick in 1987. KPMG Australia’ s consulting practice takes in graduates with various degrees like management, economics, accounting, computer science, and environmental studies.
The consulting career path at KPMG follows a clear structure from intern, consultant, senior consultant or associate, manager, senior manager, director, and finally partner. If you’re in the second-last year of university, look out for the KPMG Vacation Program but if you still have two more years of study ahead, check out the KPMG Foundations Program. For those in the final year, or recent graduates, go for the KPMG Graduate Program.
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey Australia is among the select firms that offers the highest compensation packages for undergraduate degree holders who join as business analysts. The high pay aligns with the firm’s reputation as one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious consulting firms, part of the elite "MBB" group (McKinsey, BCG, Bain).
After gaining experience in the business analyst position, you can progress to an associate, then Engagement Manager (EM), Associate Partner (AP), and finally to Partner. If you’re doing an MBA, you will skip the business analyst position and join as an associate. McKinsey Australia also offers consulting internships for students including:
First Nations Internship & Scholarship Program for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders
Māori & Pasifika Internship & Scholarship Program for Māori or Pasifika people
Women’s Internship & Scholarship Program for women applicants
PwC
PwC is one of the world's largest and most prestigious professional services firms known for audit and assurance, advisory, and tax services. The firm’s consulting team is housed within the advisory services division.
Students and graduates can join the PwC consulting team in Australia through the graduate program meant for those in their final year and recent graduates or the vacation program open to those in their second-last year of college. There’s also a trainee program that offers students in their last year of college or high school a two-year paid work and study program. Those with work experience can join by looking for suitable open opportunities year-round.
How Do Consulting Salaries Progress by Experience Level in Australia?
In Australia, consulting salaries increase with experience from an average of $120K for entry level positions to more than $300K for senior roles. The titles in the consulting career hierarchy vary by firm but you can analyze the pay by level.
Entry level consultants in most consulting firms in Australia are called analysts or business analysts. They have zero to three years experience and earn a total average pay of $120K. Several consulting firms also place consultants or associates at the entry level rank resulting in salary figures similar to those of analysts.
Next up the ranks are the mid-level consultants who might be referred to as engagement managers or project leaders. They make a higher total pay compared to the entry level consultants at $182K.
At the senior consultants/managers rank, the titles can vary as well depending on the firm. You can see titles such as associate partner, principal partner, junior partner, or associate principal. These professionals make an average total pay of $311K.
Finally, at the top of the consulting career hierarchy sits Principals, Directors, or Partners. Professionals at this level have 8+ years of experience and proven track records. They can earn well over $300K or 350K+, especially when bonuses, profit sharing, and equity are included. These roles entail major decision-making, client engagement, and firm leadership.
Conclusion
Consultants in Australia earn A$78K-A$135K on average, but this can vary based on firm, experience, and location. The pay consists of fixed base salary plus variable bonuses based on performance. Senior roles can also get profit sharing and stock options.
The highest-paying consulting firms in Australia are McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG, and Accenture. In terms of career progression, the total compensation increases substantially with experience, from $120K for entry-level analysts to $350K+ for partners, with mid-level managers earning around $182K-$311K.
Most Asked Questions About Consulting Salaries in Australia
Consultants in Australia receive a base salary plus performance-based bonuses. The base salary is set annually and usually increases with promotions, while bonuses change from year to year based on personal results, firm performance, and market conditions. Senior roles may also receive profit sharing, equity, or stock options, which can significantly increase total compensation.
Consulting salaries in Australia depend mainly on location, experience, and the firm. In major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, pay tends to be higher due to living costs and competition for talent. Experience drives compensation as well: entry-level business analysts earn roughly $95K–$125K, while senior analysts often reach $130K–$150K. The firm makes a difference too - top-tier strategy consultancies generally offer higher packages than smaller firms or boutiques.
The highest-paying firms in Australia are the MBB firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain), followed by the Big 4 (Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG) and Accenture. These companies typically offer higher base salaries, bonuses, and better long-term career progression than smaller or boutique firms.
Consulting salaries rise steeply with experience. Entry-level Business Analysts earn around $120K in total compensation. Mid-level roles such as Engagement Managers make about $182K, while senior positions like Associate Partners or Principals average $311K. At the top, Partners typically earn $350K+, especially when bonuses, equity, or profit sharing are included.
