Consulting Industry Statistics
Last updated: 2026-10-28 · 12 sourced statistics
Most consulting statistics online are market-size estimates from the consulting firms themselves. The most reliable public numbers come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Management analysts, the BLS occupation that covers most management consultants, held about 1,077,100 jobs in 2025 and earned a median $101,860 in May 2025, and BLS projects employment to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. About 14% of those jobs are held by self-employed workers who bill clients directly. Consulting firms themselves (NAICS 5416) employed about 1.89 million people in September 2026. Every figure below links to the BLS page or data series that states it.
Key takeaways
- Management analysts held about 1,077,100 jobs in 2025; employment is projected to grow 10% (109,200 jobs) from 2025 to 2035.
- Median pay was $101,860 a year ($48.97 an hour) in May 2025; the top 10% earned more than $171,640.
- 14% of management analysts are self-employed; 33% work in professional, scientific and technical services.
- Management, scientific and technical consulting firms employed about 1.89 million people in September 2026 (preliminary), up from 1.86 million a year earlier.
At a glance.
Every figure on this page in one table, each linked to its named source. Scroll down for the full context behind each number.
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,077,100 | Management analysts, the BLS occupation that covers most management consultants, held about 1,077,100 jobs in 2025, including self-employed workers. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| +10% | BLS projects management analyst employment to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, an increase of 109,200 jobs, much faster than the average for all occupations. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| 94,100/yr | About 94,100 openings for management analysts are projected each year on average over the decade, many from the need to replace workers who change occupations or retire. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| $101,860 | The median annual wage for management analysts was $101,860 in May 2025, or $48.97 an hour. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| $113,790 | The mean annual wage for wage and salary management analysts was $113,790 in May 2025, above the median because the highest earners pull the average up. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 13-1111) | 2025 |
| $60,640 to $171,640 | The lowest-paid 10% of management analysts earned less than $60,640 in May 2025, and the highest-paid 10% more than $171,640. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| 898,280 | OEWS counted 898,280 wage and salary management analysts in May 2025; the gap to the 1.08 million total is largely self-employed consultants, whom the wage survey does not cover. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 13-1111) | 2025 |
| 14% | Self-employed workers held 14% of management analyst jobs in 2025. BLS notes that self-employed analysts are paid directly by their clients, typically by the hour or by the project. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| 33% | The largest employers of management analysts in 2025 were professional, scientific and technical services (33%), government (18%), self-employment (14%), finance and insurance (13%) and management of companies (5%). | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| $107,330 | Median pay by industry in May 2025: $107,330 in professional, scientific and technical services, $101,030 in management of companies, $100,300 in finance and insurance and $97,300 in government. | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts | 2025 |
| 1.89M | Management, scientific and technical consulting services firms employed about 1,888,100 people in September 2026 (preliminary, seasonally adjusted), up 1.5% from 1,860,000 a year earlier (BLS series CES6054160001). | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics: Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (NAICS 5416) | 2026 |
| $51.58/hr | Average hourly earnings of all employees at management, scientific and technical consulting firms were $51.58 in August 2026 (preliminary), up from $51.18 a year earlier (BLS series CES6054160003). | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics: Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (NAICS 5416) | 2026 |
The statistics
Management analysts, the BLS occupation that covers most management consultants, held about 1,077,100 jobs in 2025, including self-employed workers.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
BLS projects management analyst employment to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, an increase of 109,200 jobs, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
About 94,100 openings for management analysts are projected each year on average over the decade, many from the need to replace workers who change occupations or retire.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
The median annual wage for management analysts was $101,860 in May 2025, or $48.97 an hour.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
The mean annual wage for wage and salary management analysts was $113,790 in May 2025, above the median because the highest earners pull the average up.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 13-1111)2025
The lowest-paid 10% of management analysts earned less than $60,640 in May 2025, and the highest-paid 10% more than $171,640.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
OEWS counted 898,280 wage and salary management analysts in May 2025; the gap to the 1.08 million total is largely self-employed consultants, whom the wage survey does not cover.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 13-1111)2025
Self-employed workers held 14% of management analyst jobs in 2025. BLS notes that self-employed analysts are paid directly by their clients, typically by the hour or by the project.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
The largest employers of management analysts in 2025 were professional, scientific and technical services (33%), government (18%), self-employment (14%), finance and insurance (13%) and management of companies (5%).
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
Median pay by industry in May 2025: $107,330 in professional, scientific and technical services, $101,030 in management of companies, $100,300 in finance and insurance and $97,300 in government.
Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Management Analysts2025
Management, scientific and technical consulting services firms employed about 1,888,100 people in September 2026 (preliminary, seasonally adjusted), up 1.5% from 1,860,000 a year earlier (BLS series CES6054160001).
Average hourly earnings of all employees at management, scientific and technical consulting firms were $51.58 in August 2026 (preliminary), up from $51.18 a year earlier (BLS series CES6054160003).
When these numbers don't apply
Aggregate statistics hide a lot. Read these caveats before quoting a figure as if it describes your specific situation.
- "Management analyst" (SOC 13-1111) is the BLS occupation closest to consultant, but it includes salaried in-house analysts and government staff, and it excludes IT, engineering, HR and other specialist consultants classified in other occupations.
- BLS wage figures come from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which covers wage and salary workers only. They do not show what self-employed consultants earn from clients.
- The 1,077,100 jobs in the Occupational Outlook Handbook include self-employed workers; the 898,280 in OEWS do not. Use the figure that matches your question.
- Industry employment (NAICS 5416) counts everyone employed by consulting firms, including administrative staff and scientific and technical consultants, not only management consultants. September 2026 figures are preliminary.
- All figures are US-only. Market-size estimates for global consulting come from consultancies and research firms with differing definitions; none are included here.
How we compiled this data
Reviewed 2026-10-28. Occupation figures are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for management analysts (2025 to 2035 projections), read through an Internet Archive copy dated 22 October 2026 because bls.gov blocks automated access. Wage and employment levels were confirmed through the official BLS public data API: OEWS series OEUN000000000000013111101, 04, 08, 11, 13 and 15 (May 2025), and Current Employment Statistics series CES6054160001 and CES6054160003. Earlier versions of this page said "more than 1 million" analysts, about 11% projected growth and pay "near $100,000"; these were updated to the current BLS figures. A freelancer-survey figure from Upwork and a B2B late-payment range from Atradius were removed because neither measured consultants.
We hand-collected each figure from its original publisher rather than recycling secondary round-ups, cross-checked the headline numbers against the source documents in 2026-10-28, and link every statistic to the report it came from so you can verify it yourself. Where a publisher issues annual updates, we cite the report edition and flag the year inline.
Frequently asked questions
How many consultants are there in the US?
BLS counts about 1,077,100 management analyst jobs in 2025, the occupation that covers most management consultants, including self-employed workers. Separately, consulting firms (NAICS 5416) employed about 1.89 million people in September 2026, counting all their staff.
How much do management consultants earn?
The median annual wage for management analysts was $101,860 in May 2025 ($48.97 an hour). The lowest 10% earned under $60,640 and the top 10% over $171,640. These figures exclude self-employed consultants.
Is the consulting industry growing?
BLS projects management analyst employment to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 94,100 openings a year. Consulting firm employment rose 1.5% in the year to September 2026 (preliminary).
How many consultants are self-employed?
Self-employed workers held 14% of management analyst jobs in 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. BLS notes they are typically paid by the client by the hour or by the project.
How should an independent consultant use these figures when setting rates?
Treat the employee median as a floor, not a rate. A salaried analyst on $101,860 also gets paid leave, benefits and a full pipeline of work; an independent consultant must cover those costs and unbilled time. Worked example: $101,860 divided by 1,200 billable hours is about $85 an hour before self-employment tax, insurance and overheads.
Put these figures to use
- Invoicing hub: Guides on writing invoices, setting payment terms and following up on late payments.
- Profit margin calculator: Check the margin on a consulting fee once your costs are counted.
- How to price consulting: Turn a rate floor into a day rate, a fixed project fee and a retainer, then invoice it.
- Quarterly tax payments for freelancers: IRS estimated tax due dates and safe harbors for self-employed consultants.
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