Consulting Fees by Industry

The premium end of the market. Big Three firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) command $3,500–$8,000+/day. Mid-tier strategy firms operate at 60–70% of Big Three rates. Fixed project pricing dominates.

• McKinsey/BCG/Bain: $3,500–$8,000+/day
• Mid-tier (Oliver Wyman, Roland Berger): $1,000–$2,500/day
• Boutique specialists: $250–$400/hr
• Transformation projects: $150K–$3M+
• Fixed project fee is the dominant model

Regulatory, API, and risk advisory services command premium rates due to compliance demands. Fixed project phases are standard for complex regulatory engagements.

• Regulatory advisory: $300–$500/hr
• API & integration consulting: $250–$400/hr
• Risk management: $275–$450/hr
• Compliance program design: $50K–$150K
• Ongoing compliance retainers: $5,000–$15,000/month

Domestic onshore execution models cost $28–$45 per agent hour. Nearshore/offshore execution ranges from $8–$24 per agent hour. Setup and optimization consulting billed separately.

• Onshore agent execution: $28–$45/agent hr
• Nearshore execution: $15–$24/agent hr
• Offshore execution: $8–$15/agent hr
• CX strategy consulting: $150–$300/hr
• Full center setup: $50K–$200K

M&A advisory is structured around retainers plus success fees. Due diligence alone costs $30K–$80K. CFO advisory and financial modeling run $200–$400/hr.

• Monthly retainer: $5,000–$10,000
• Success fee: 4%–12% on deals under $10M
• Due diligence: $30,000–$80,000
• Quality of Earnings report: $10,000–$50,000
• Fractional CFO: $3,000–$10,000/month

Supply chain, operational layout, and process optimization consulting. Rates track management consulting but sit 10–20% lower due to execution-oriented nature of the work.

• Supply chain optimization: $150–$300/hr
• Lean manufacturing: $175–$350/hr
• Procurement consulting: $150–$275/hr
• Network optimization study: $75K–$200K
• Gain-sharing: 15–25% of documented savings

No other industry has a wider rate spread. General IT support runs $100–$150/hr. Cloud architecture and enterprise software integration: $150–$250/hr. Niche specialists: $200–$300/hr.

• General IT support: $100–$150/hr
• Cloud architecture: $150–$250/hr
• SAP/Salesforce specialists: $200–$300/hr
• IT advisory retainer (mid-market): $2,500–$5,000/month
• Large org IT advisory: $5,000–$15,000/month

Everyone wants an AI consultant in 2026 and rates reflect it. AI strategy assessments start at $10K–$40K. Senior AI consultants command $1,000–$2,500/day in the US market.

• AI strategy assessment: $10,000–$40,000
• Custom model development: $40,000–$150,000
• Enterprise AI transformation: $250,000+
• Senior AI consultant day rate: $1,000–$2,500
• Generative AI specialists: 20–30% premium over general data science

Rates have climbed steadily for five years. Penetration testing: $10K–$50K. Full security architecture review: $75K–$200K. Incident response retainers: $5K–$15K/month.

• Penetration testing: $10,000–$50,000
• Security architecture review: $75,000–$200,000
• Incident response retainer: $5,000–$15,000/month
• CISSP/OSCP certified consultant: $400–$500/hr
• Security clearance premium: significant uplift

Healthcare rates carry a regulatory premium. General management consulting: $150–$250/hr. Regulatory and clinical specialists: $300–$400/hr. Health IT runs 25–40% higher than general IT.

• General healthcare management: $150–$250/hr
• Regulatory/clinical specialists: $300–$400/hr
• Health IT implementation: 25–40% above general IT
• HIPAA compliance program: $50K–$150K
• FDA submission advisory: $300–$400/hr

Legal consulting covers regulatory compliance, risk management, and contract lifecycle optimization. Compliance program design: $50K–$150K. Ongoing monitoring retainers: $3K–$8K/month.

• E-discovery specialists: $115–$315/hr
• Expert witnesses: $300–$500/hr
• Compliance program design: $50,000–$150,000
• Ongoing monitoring retainer: $3,000–$8,000/month
• Anti-bribery/data privacy programs: $50K–$150K

ESG reporting, carbon accounting, and regulatory compliance are driving demand. Greenhouse gas inventory: $15K–$40K. Full ESG strategy with Scope 1–3 modeling: $75K–$250K.

• Greenhouse gas inventory: $15,000–$40,000
• Full ESG strategy: $75,000–$250,000
• ESG reporting framework: $25,000–$100,000
• Regulatory submission advisory: premium rates
• Carbon accounting: $200–$350/hr

HR consulting fees are driven by compliance exposure, rollout scale, and change management scope. Compensation benchmarking: $15K–$30K. Full org redesign: $100K–$300K.

• Compensation benchmarking: $15,000–$30,000
• Full org redesign with change management: $100,000–$300,000
• Executive coaching: $200–$350/hr
• DEI strategy: $200–$350/hr
• Major HR consultancies: $300K–$400K revenue/consultant/year